Halo: Spawn of the Spartans
by Master DA
Summary: After the Human-Covenant war, a new Team of Spartans has been called in address the return of a new Forerunner. However they must rely on the help of a new unlikely alley if they are to stop this new threat to their existence.
1. Prologue

**May 14th, 2558 A.D.**

 **Unknown Location**

 **Covenant Patrol**

In the deep vast space as there were fleets of Covenant ships Jul 'Mdama on patrol. Inside the Capital ship a large explosion occurred in the lower port of the ship. Amidst the chaos that soon followed from the destruction, a lone female Sangheili wearing a General combat harness was on the run, being hunted down by a team of Grunts lead by a male Sangheili Storm.

"Don't let her escape." the storm yelled as they searched the hallways of the ship.

She continues run down the hallway, her breathing becoming harder as she fought herself to keep running no matter how much her fatigue was kicking in. Stopping for just a short moment, she spotted a Forerunner LightRifle in a weapons cache at the corner of her sight. With her breathing not catching up in time she takes the foreign weapon and loads it. She hides in the corner quickly, gripping her weapon tightly as she waited with deep patience. Her patience rewarding her as she takes sites of the squad of grunts lead by the Storm Elite pass by.

With great struggle of her breath control she stays as quiet as she could, quietly praying to her Ancestors that the group would just pass by her and leave. As she watched from her hiding spot the group splitting up, she cursed herself as a lone Grunt takes the next corner she hid in and yells out to his team. Just as quick as the Grunt shouted, she took aim shot him down where he stood, but it was too late as the others heard heading towards her.

They spot her and began opening fire on her position, forcing her to stay to cover in the corner she was in and return fire back on them. The Storm Elite growing irritated, throws a plasma grenade that sticks to the corner she was too dangerously closeby. She spots it and jumps out of the way as it explodes. With it so close to her, her vision became blurry, her body hard to move, and her hearing become consumed by a loud ringing.

Just as she was trying to get up to reclaim her bearings with her vision and hearing returning, she found that the Storm Elite had walked up to her and holds his storm rifle up to her face.

"Nowhere to run now general Dena 'Veryanee. Now die Heretic!" the storm elite yelled as he prepared to pull the trigger.

Taking the brief moment she had, she activated a energy dagger from her wrist and slices the Storm's ankle. Forcing the male Sangheili to be stunned briefly in pain, precisely the time she needed to quickly recover and make a run for the docks looking for an escape.

Taking her final chances, She searched for a possible escape pod or something that could get her out of the capital ship. To her good luck she found a nearby Type-57 Phantom dropship she could use to get away. However to her bad luck it was guarded by Two Hunters as they kept watch and guard the dropship.

Dena thinks of how she was going to have to distract these Hunters. They were always a pain even when they were under her command back when she was at war with the Humans. With sigh she decided to take a leap of faith.

Hopping down from her hiding spot, she threw a plasma grenade to get their attention. Forcing one into a guarding position the moment it notice the grenade stuck to it's shield to try and withstand the blast while its brother did the same. When the explosion occurred, it made them flinch by only briefly. Thinking fast, Dena took the opportunity to rush to the nearest Phantom they were guarding and get in the pilot seat. Switching the ship on as fast as she could, she was able to lift the ship off the ground. Of course this got the Hunters attention as they began shooting the ship, even though their efforts did little damage to it. With quick reflexes she turned the ship around and shot them down before quickly turning it around and take off from the Capital Ship.

Meanwhile, another Sangheili General sees the dropship leaving. Knowing very well that it was no longer one of his he took action with his orders.

"Blast her out of the sky, now!" The General commanded as the Grunts hurried to go do as they were ordered. They reached to the ships cannons and began opening on her and she dodges a few shots. She manage to get further but one lucky last shot hit in the back, heavily damaging the ship.

"Shall we continue firing sir?"

"Yes dammit what kind of question is that. We can't allow her to make off with that information hunt her down and kill her at all costs." The general yelled.

"No, let her go. With a heavily damaged ship she'll perish before she'll even crash." A large Brute with a long white beard and a cybernetic left eye ordered as he entered. He wore a blue Jiralhanae Army Commander armor with a long flowing cape.

"But Havuus we can't take that risk!" the Elite general questioned.

"Precisely the reason why I want a scout party to track down her possible landing area and finish off whatever the crash doesn't." the Brute smirked

Back with the female Elite, her heavily damaged ship tries to manage as she flies nearby to a nearby planet she remembers being one of the human colonies called, Sedra. With a deep breath she braces herself to make an emergency crash landing on a open land. She tried to brace herself further for more impact but the crash was too great as it tore the ship up and she ended up being smashed through the other side of the ship like a rag doll.

As the ship comes to a complete stop, it lands close to the Morning Lake location of the planet. Luckily it landed in the lake just where it would not sink completely.

Inside Dena awoke with a sudden feeling of horrible agony as she tried getting up. She checked her legs and found her right leg was broken to the point that the bone tore through her skin. She also felt her ribs were broken and her left arm was also broken. She struggled to try to reach over to the pilot seat. Having to drag herself on the ground to try and pull herself over to the other side of it. Amazingly when she arrived she was on the outer area of Morning Lake and sees Sedra City in a distance.

"They… must know… about this." She mumbles under her breath and continues limping to the City.

 **HALO:**

 **Spawn of the Spartans**


	2. Oracle

A Spartan soldier sat in the corner of his seat aboard the D79-TC Pelican dropship that carried him and his team of Spartans. While his team were checking their weapons and gear, he sat silently in his seat staring at his helmet. He payed no attention to the events and sound going around him as he stared into the red visor of his Spartan Raider helmet.

"Lex, we drop in five sir." He heard a female voice come from a Spartan wearing purple colored GEN 2 Air Assault Spartan armor with pink markings and accents. Her visor was a red color.

The Spartan identified as Lex nods and places his helmet on. He looked at himself to see if his HUD was working. Seeing his custom GEN 2 Defender Spartan Armor complete with a GEN 2 Raider Helmet. He took notice of the color of his armor being white with orange markings and a the visor of his helmet being red. He looks around him to get used to its feel as he looks at his other two Spartan teammates.

"Hey Rookie, ready to show us what you got?" A heavy and bulky Spartan asked another one sitting across from him.

The tall and bulky spartan wore a dark green camouflage GEN 2 Grenadier Spartan armor with an orange visor. The Spartan sitting across from his wore a black and dark grey GEN 2 Helljumper Spartan armor with a light blue visor.

"Jared we've been over this. I maybe new to this Spartan thing, but I promise you I am no rookie in the field of war." the Helljumper spartan told Jared.

"Whatever Hogan. Hey White, you and Lex ready?' Jared asked.

"Don't rush it newbie. The party hasn't started yet." White jokes.

"Newbie? I ain't no newb White."

Lex got up and started walking towards the center as onboard computer activates showing showing images of a crashed Phantom dropship at Morning Lake.

"Alright here's the heads up Oracle. 22 hours ago there have been reports from local enforcements about a Phantom crash landed at Morning Lake at 0400. No one was for sure if the pilot died or survived or if there's any Covenant squads with it. Our task is to investigate and secure the crash site before the Covenant could find it. You have your orders. Ready up."

The team walked over to the weapons locker. Lex grabs his white, black and orange DNE BR85 Battle rifle and his magnum pistol. White takes her custom M45D Tactical Shotgun painted with a cracked heart saying "Heart breaker," and a M20 SMG. Jared grabs his M739 SAW LMG and a Hydra MLRS grenade launcher and loads them both. Hogan picks up a SRS99-S5 AM Sniper Rifle that has a wolf painted on it along with a M395B DMR.

Once they have their weapons, the team walks to the hatch door as it started opening.

"We drop in five, four, three, two, one." Lex commands before all three of them jumped out of the dropship and sky dived downward below towards a forest. Lex jumps out last along with his and catches up with his team while gliding in the sky.

"Comm check up." Lex alerted

"Comms good to go." White confirms.

"Copy that Ora-2."

"Spartan Jared up and alive."

"Spartan Hogan reporting status green."

The group continue to skydive forward down below, pushing themselves to go faster and faster.

"Listen up Oracle. We need to split up and cover more ground to scout the area for any possible Covenant. We meet back up at the destination of the Phantom Ship. Hogan and Jared you take left. White you'll hang out with me."

"Copy that sir." Hogan complys

"Understood." Jared confirms.

"Got it sir." White also confirms.

"Alright Oracle. Split!"

The Oracle team split as they go into different directions. Lex and White were approaching land fast and decided to flip over so they can land on their feet. Within a few short moment, both Lex and White crashed close by but at two different places. Lex landed on the ground feet first on a giant boulder, shattering it into pieces. White landed close to a set of trees and used them to slow down her decent. Once she lands, Lex dusts himself off and taps his mic.

"This is Ora-1, me and White have landed. What's your status Jared, Hogan?"

(through mic) "I landed in a damn mud pile. Damn I just got this armor washed. Oh... landed sir."

"Hogan?"

(through mic) "Uh… what if I say I was hanging?"

"Hanging from what?" Lex asked.

(through mic) "From a tree." Hogan answered.

"Cut yourself down then." White responded.

(through mic) "Yes ma'am."

"Alright enough fooling around. Jared help him if you have to. We've got a Phantom to find. Move out Oracle." Lex commanded.

The split teams began to move deeper into the forest. Lex and White move down a hill and stick to cover behind the trees as they kept sharp eyes out for any possible Covenant forces. Meanwhile Hogan and Jared walked down the forest till they found a road trail and continued following it.

"Doesn't it feel weird to have a Covenant Phantom crash on UNSC grounds. I mean we do guard this part." Hogan asks.

"Well it is Covenant. They'll be willing to do anything." Jared answers.

"Yeah it's true, they did secretly attack this place some time ago. Still why would a Phantom crash on UNSC grounds. Isn't it suppose to do something stealthy or something like recon?"

Meanwhile, John and Lex continue to move down the hill, taking cover behind trees.

"Maybe. That's why we're going on a scavenger hunt. Find anything that could lead us to the Phantom and keep your ears open for anything." Lex command.

(through mic) "Yes sir." He heard Jared and Hogan answered.

Lex and White stay behind cover of the trees as they kept an eye on their radars for any possible enemies. When they see that they're clear, the two slide down the hill and continue downwards. Eventually the two find the lake where they find the remains of the Phantom. Lex motions White to move forward with him as they carefully walked up to the destroyed dropship.

Meanwhile, Hogan checks on his scanner until till he found movement about 40 clicks North. "Lex, I've got some movement about 40 clicks from where me and Jared are. It seems to be fading too. Should we move in?" Hogan asks.

Meanwhile, Lex and White continue to inspect around the ship, finding a purple blood trail that belongs to an elite.

"Affirmative, me and White found a blood trail and it's Sangheili, on our way right now. Rendezvous with us quickly." He answers.

(through mic) "On our way sir." Jared confirms.

Lex motions White to move forward as he taps his mic. "Heckins, do you detect any life signs close by?"

(through mic) "The only thing I detect is that lifeless corpse roaming about from where your at." Heckins answers.

Lex sighs. "Not funny Heckins."

(through mic) "Oh come on sir. I'm just trying to lighten you up."

"What's the real status Heckins?"

(through mic) "As Hogan last reported he said the dying signal is about 40 clicks from where we are now. The only thing now is to follow the cookie crumbs. Hopefully whatever it is didn't get too far." Heckins answers.

Lex looks at White and motions her to take point and follow the trail. He watches her back as he follows her. Jared also takes point with Hogan as both teams eventually regrouping at the end of their trails but still connected to blood trail.

"Any luck?" Jared asked.

"Not yet." White answered.

Hogan's radar detects movement.

"I've got movement." Hogan alerts. Just as the team's radar picks up the movement. Lex motions for them to stay put as he move forward to check the bushes. They aimed their weapons at the bush as Lex uncover it and finds a Covenant Elite General laying against a tree with a plasma pistol in her hand continuously bleeding out from her right leg which looked seriously broken. She noticed the Spartan and become terrified as they approached her weapons aimed and ready.

(Female voice) "Please… (coughs)...don't shoot me."

Lex remains motionless but motions his team to lower their weapons as he does the same. He kneels down towards the female elite and inspects her. She also appeared to have a broken left arm and all her ribs looked broken. When he got close she tried moving away but every time she did it caused her even more agony so she was forced to stay still. She looked terrified beyond belief as she was shaking at an uncontrollable level.

"Please… don't hurt me. I do not wish to fight." She begs.

Lex stared at her with his expressionless readin helmet before reaching for a hard case pocket and pulling out a syringe filled with something. Before she could react, Lex carefully sticks her in the neck with it and inserts the liquid into her bloodstream. Almost instantly her eyes rolled into the back of her head while she closed them and her body relaxed and calmed down.

"Uh sir?" Jared asked.

"She's in need of serious medical treatment now. Hogan, call in radio command to come down here with a medical team immediately. Jared, I want you and White to take height and keep a watch out for any possible Covenant forces." Lex orders.

"Sir, with all due respect. I don't trust her one bit. This could be a trap for a Covenant." Hogan tells Lex feeling paranoid.

"If it is then we'll handle it quick and silently. Understand Hogan?" Lex asks as he pulls out a bandage to stop the bleeding on her for the moment.

"Yes sir." He says with disappointment tone and feeling like a grudge.

When Lex finishes stopping the bleeding of the female elite's leg, he walks over to Hogan and pats him on the shoulder. "Trust me Hogan, I got my eyes and ears on alert as you do."

"Alright. I didn't join the UNSC for nothing." He looks back at him.

"I know."

(through mic) "Sir we got more Covenant Phantoms landing right now." White alerts them.

"Where are they?" Lex asks.

(through mic) "A few yards back where the Phantom crashed at sir." Jared answered.

"How do you wanna play this out sir?" Hogan asks.

Lex looks back at the female elite and nods. "Hogan I want you to find a sniping position close to that area and keep an eye on them and listen in what they say. White I need you to stand and guard the female elite. Jared you're with me. We're gonna give the Covenant a warm welcome once we find out their intentions." Lex answers.

"On it." Hogan runs off as he found a better position in a tree branch. He climbs up into it, sits back and gets into position. "In position Lex."

Lex nods as Jared and White drop down. Lex nods his head for Jared to follow him as he walks off. White walks up to the female elite, picks her up, and moves her to a safer position.

"Where are you taking me?" She asks still dazed and drugged from whatever Lex gave her to calm down.

White did not answer as she moved the female elite down a hill softly into a nearby cave.

"Sir, subject secured." White alerts White.

Meanwhile, Jared And Lex were hiding behind a rock close to the lake as a few Covenant forces consisting with a few Grunts, a couple of Jackals, and a few Elites, lead by two or three Brutes.

(through mic) "Sir, I'm spotting Brutes on the field." Hogan alerts Lex.

"I know I see them." Lex answers.

"So what's the welcome plan. Blow them up or Guns a Blazin?" Jared asks.

"Not yet. Hogan, listen in and radio us their conversation." Lex orders.

Back with Hogan, he taps his mic while zooming in with his sniper to observe them while listening in on their conversation for him and the team to hear.

"The Heretic must've crawled this way sir." one of the grunts says.

"I know that already you little shit!" one of the Brutes growled.

"They're looking for someone." He whispers into the comm.

Lex and Jared listen in and slowly peek behind cover to listen in closely.

"How could she have survived this?" one of the elites asked.

"Let's just find the bitch and and put a hole in her head." another brute says.

"Jul wants her brought back alive." one of the elites yells at the brute.

"And Havuus wants her dead." the Brute yells back.

(through mic) "Hey Lex. Do you think they're looking for that General we found?" White asks.

"Not sure yet, we're still listening for more info." Lex answers.

"Jul is the supreme leader and the hand of the Didact, you brutes dare go against his order?"

The brutes look at each other and smirk before they drew their spikers and shot all the elites down dead. Scaring the grunts and Jackals who were shocked and surprised by this.

"Anyone want to challenge the award of Havuus is welcome to do so just as long as you know the results of such treachery." one of the brutes tells the Grunts and Jackals.

When the Grunts and Jackals nods their heads in agreement.

"That's what I thought." a Brute captain in the group announces. "Now as we were saying, we're going to find and kill this Sangheili heretic bitch. We can't allow her information to fall into human hands. So once you find her, kill her on site. I want no mercy or you shall receive none."

(through mic) "Brutes? What the hell are they doing here? I haven't seen them since Master Chief stopped the third Halo ring." White asks.

"Well they just killed off all the elites on their squad. They're looking for the female elite. Saying something about information she may know." Lex answers.

"So sir, should we say hello blow them up style or guns in blazin style?" Jared asked as he readied his weapons.

"Well they are looking for her. We need to keep them confuse. Hogan throw your smokes to them to give a good advantage and you'll snipe them as well but wait on my single. Jared got that turret?"

"Sure do."

"Okay. Give me your gun and we're gonna flank them and White stay right where you are."

(Through mic)"Yes sir." Hogan and White answered.

The Covenant forces move forward following the blood trail. Once they got into position, Hogan pulls out a smoke grenade.

"Okay. Hogan throw the smokes." Lex ordered.

Hogan tosses the smoke grenade at the Covenant unit to blind them all. As the smoke blinds them getting them confused, Lex and Jared loaded their weapons and take aim. The smoke clears a bit and were ready.

"Now!" Lex commands and they begin opening fire.

Within a few short moments the Covenant forces were all being gun downed by Jared and Lex and whatever Grunt, Jackal, and Brute that was able to be missed by the two, Hogan would perfectly headshot them with his sniper from his sniping positions. After a few short minutes, the three Spartans were able to take down and kill all the Covenant squad members.

"Got to come up with a name for that plan." Jared joked while Hogan hops down from the tree.

"This is Lex, Covenant squad neutralized. White how's the female elite?"

(through mic) "She's not looking good sir. She's lost allot of blood and her broken ribs are not letting her breath well. We need to evac her to a emergency medical room right away."

"Heckins. Get a dropship over at White's location with a medical team specializing in Sangheili anatomy immediately. We'll meet up by the time you get here." Lex ordered.

(through mic) "Affirmative sir, heading White's way right now. Eta five minutes." the A.I. answers.

"Where's the best location for pick up?" Jared asks.

"At White's location." Lex answered as he started walking off. Hogan and Jared look at each other and Hogan shrugs and follows Lex with Jared. The three arrived at White's location just as a Pelican Dropship drops down and a few medical doctors who specialize in Elite anatomy came in and load her on a stretcher.

"Alright let's get the hell out of here before more show up."

The medical team strap the female elite and carry her into the dropship as the Spartan team enter. As the dropship starts taking off, the med team inserts an I.V. in her right arm and put a oxygen mask on her mouth.

"Will she be okay?" Lex asks.

"Not sure yet, she's hurt really, really bad…" one of the doctors said.

"Well we need to hurry back, those Brutes were looking for her and I want to know what she is holding."

"Sir we're moving as fast as we can, this thing can't go any faster, and don't worry she's stable."

"Okay."

Lex sat down at his seat along with his teammates.

"Sir, incoming call from Commander Alexander." Heckins alerted him.

"Put him through."

A hologram of Commander Alexander appears on the holotable. He wore a full set of GEN 2 NOBLE class armor that was blue in color but had white accents on it and a silver colored visor.

"Oracle Team report." Alex asks.

"Sir, we've managed to retrieve the Covenant General Elite from the crash. Apparently a team of Brutes were looking for her. Said something about having information."

"I see. How's her condition?"

"Not looking good sir." Lex answered.

"How bad are we talking?"

"As in she's lost allot of blood and she's not breathing well. We may need to put her on life support when we get back to base."

"I see, well be sure to get her here ASAP to the med bay. Once you get there I want to meet with you personally and discuss further orders from there." Alex orders.

"Yes sir."

Alex's hologram disappears.

"So, what now sir?" White asks.

"We go back to base as see what they want with her. There's nothing else we can do for her now."

"Any idea what the info she has could be?" Hogan asks.

"God only knows Hogan. God only knows." Lex answers as the rest of the trip back to the base remained in silence.


	3. Suiting up

**October 25, 2558 A.D...**

 **Alamo Headquarters...**

 **UNSC Base...**

Around three hours later, the Dropship arrived at a secret military base. Upon reaching the destination it began to make its descent towards the landing pad. Commander Alex was standing outside with a medical team just as the Pelican made its landing. The medical team rushed in the pelican to help the other doctors move the female elite to an emergency room into the base. Lex and his team step out to be greeted by Alex.

"Good work out there Oracle, I'm not sure what's going on but either way it goes we got ourselves valuable information." Alex congratulated them.

"Thank you sir." the group answered.

"Now that the pleasantries are over. Lex I wish to speak to you privately in the base. The rest of you return to your bunkers and wait further orders."

Lex follows Alex into the base as the others went back to their bunkers. They reach the base as they walk into the war room as Lex was curious. "Is there something you wanted to talk about sir?" Lex asks.

Alex motions for him to take a seat as he takes a seat himself.

"Well Lex, I got good news and I got some bad news. Both of them are equally serious." Alex states.

"Well how serious are we talking here, sir?." Lex asks.

"As in both could affect the war we're in serious." he answered.

"I'm listening sir."

"Well the good news is, as of a couple of hours ago, we got word that Covenant Supreme Leader, Jul "Mdama was taken down by Osiris back on October 4th." Alex starts.

"That is good news sir. Without him the Covenant should fall apart."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that Lieutenant. Besides you haven't even heard the bad news yet."

"What's the bad news?" Lex asks.

"As of twenty four hours ago, the Master Chief Spartan 117 has went AWOL with Blue Team. And Command has decided to send Osiris to hunt them down and contain them."

"That seems a bit insane. It's like brother against brother."

"It's the high ups. Those pencil pushers don't give a shit. I don't know why Master Chief all of a sudden decided to go against orders but I do know he wouldn't without a very good reason. But either way we won't have Master Chief to save our asses if shit hits the fan bad. And even though Jul's dead, from what I read on the report of your mission. The brutes are back in this and it seems they're taking over the Covenant. Which means they got a new leader much, much worse than Jul."

"I can tell. This might have been the worst bad news I've heard."

"I wouldn't say that just yet. But hopefully I hope this female elite general has some news that sounds all good. What's her status?"

"She's in a bad condition but she's stable." Lex answered.

"I see. Well here's the deal. Lex I want you and your team to keep watch on her and find anything and everything she has in her mind and I don't care if you have to sleep with her just to get that information out of her. Until I find out the deal with Master Chief and what those damn pencil pushers got scheming, you and Oracle squad are to guard her and interrogate her as best as you can." Alex tells him seriously.

"Yes sir. Understand sir."

"Good. Now those lab boys at the lab wanted me to let you know that they finally got that GEN 2 Hayabusa Spartan Armor you ordered last month shipped in. Report to the lab to get suit up in your new armor and then head to the training area for a test run. Maybe your new armor will increase your badassery enough to do more damage to the Covenant then you usually do."

"Yes sir." Lex salutes him off as he walks out the war room. He takes the elevator down to the lab. He reaches the lab and the scientist approaches him.

"Ah, John Lexington, you here for the new armor you requested?" a female scientist asks as she walks up with a smile on her face. She was an attractive looking young woman who had caramel colored skin with brown eyes and long black hair. She wore a normal lab scientist uniform and some glasses.

"Yes Dr. Ladia, how've you been?" Lex asked.

"I am well. Glad to see your doing and looking okay. If you will follow me I'll take you to your new armor set and run you through its features." she asks with a smile while winking at him. She turns around and motions for him to follow her. Lex shrugs slightly and follows her.

"So what can you tell me about my new armor?" Lex asks.

"Well it's based off of the GEN 1 Hayabusa Armor that was a crucial piece of hardware in the later years of the Human-Covenant War. The Hayabusa is one of powered battle armor, similar to the MJOLNIR armor, except stemming from Project HAYABUSA as opposed to Project MJOLNIR. It was developed by the RKD group, an Earth-based think tank. After the Human-Covenant War, ONI for reasons I don't know why forced the project of a GEN 2 version until in 2556, as an answer to the self-contained powered armor problem." She started.

"Not bad."

"Right this way Lex." she said as she leading him in a room where the machine inside can help remove his previous armor.

"Okay you know the drill, step onto the machine and have it remove your spartan armor." she requests.

He stands into the machine as the robotic arms in a circular rotation begin taking his armor off piece by piece. When his helmet was removed he was able to see his face at a nearby mirror. He had yellow beige skin color with brown eyes and black hair. He had a scar on his right eye, a small goatee beard, and army haircut mohawk.

"Hey Ladia, think I need to shave?" he asked with a smirk.

"Nah, you're fine. You look good with it." She smiled and blushed a bit.

"Alright I guess I'll keep it."

"Okay, getting ready to get your new set of armor on...now." she alerts and presses a button.

The robotic arms extended in a circular rotation to begin placing parts of his new armor on. When they place his helmet on he was able to see himself in his new armor by the mirror. He now wore a full set of a white GEN 2 Hayabusa Spartan Armor with orange markings and a red colored visor. He looks and realized there was no forearm pieces added to it.

"Dr. Ladia? I don't have any forearms."

"Oh the GEN 2 doesn't have any. Or at least was never completed with some."

"Can I at least have the same one like my old armor?" He requested.

"Hold on."

She taps a few buttons and the machine places forearm armor pieces on him that resembles the ones from the GEN 1 version. From the new advance look, they were part of the GEN 2 version..

"Luckily for you, you have me to always help place the finishing touches." she giggled slightly.

When the machine finished places all the armor pieces on him, Lex stepped out and moved his limbs a little.

"How do I look?" Lex asked.

"Like a badass. Now if you'll follow me to the lab and we'll get you acquainted with your new armor."

"Very well then doctor." He follows her to the testing room.

"Alright let's start with some basic movements. I'm going to raise my hand in different directions, I want you to watch and follow where my hand goes." she says as she raises her left hand up.

He follows her left hand just as he was told. She moves it down the left and right. Lex follows her hands movements perfectly.

"Good. Now I have seen you walked but I want to see you walk some more. Walk around the room a little bit for me please." she requests.

He walks around the closed room in circle. He stretches out a bit and walks a bit more. "How's that doctor?" Lex asks.

"It looks like you're adjusting nicely. Now I want to see you do some sprinting outside in this small running field right next door of this room." she shows him the door to the running room.

He walks into the next as he sees the simulation room of an open desert field.

"Whenever you're ready Lex." she says over a mic. She presses a button and a few obstacles appear as well.

Lex takes a running position and begins sprinting down towards the first obstacle as he jumps over it smoothly without issue. The next one looked slightly tricky as it required him to do a little wall running. Lex hops onto the wall on his left and wall runs to the nearby wall on his right. He jumps to the wall on the right and wall runs to jump flip over another obstacle.

(Through loudspeaker) "You're doing great Lex." The Doctor compliments.

Lex sees another larger obstacle and jumps onto it and quickly climbs to the top and sprints to the finish line.

"Test your booster through that wall to finish." Ladia requested.

A giant but breakable obstacle appears in front of Lex. Lex speeds up and uses his boosters to smash through it right to the finish line.

"Well done Lex. Movement test complete. Come on back to see your results."

Lex rushes back over to the room and enters to see his score. He sees the score and earned an 85 which managed to pass the other Spartans scores.

"You've done really great Lex. You've done better than most Spartans. Now there are some Spartans that still top your score but considering you've gotten this score while in a new set of armor is very impressive."

"Thank you."

"Now for the CQC test." Ladia motions for Lex to follow her to another room for the CQC test.

He follows her to the next room as he was soon surrounded by machine practice dummies. He prepares himself for the fight he's going to get.

"Alright Heckins you know the usual sparring drill." Ladia comments.

(through mic) "Yes Ma'am, all combat drones are fully prepared and specialised in random different martial arts."

"Okay, next test defeat the combat drones in CQC. Each one is controlled by Heckins and uses a different martial art style. I figured since your CQC consists of an Eclectic mix of Isshin-Ryu Karate, Shotokan Karate, Taekwondo, Hapkido, Capoeira, Kung Fu, Eskrima, and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. You would want a challenge." She mentions with a friendly smile while straightening her glasses.

"Dammit Heckins."

(through mic) "What?" he asks.

"I thought it would be one of them. Not all of them."

(through mic) "It was Dr. Ladia's suggestion since after all you do specialize in eight different martial arts. Besides this has now become standard procedure by for advance Spartans. Also, I thought you loved challenges?"

"I did say that. Alright I'm ready."

Ladia enters back in the room. "Standby."

All five combat drones get in different fighting stances. Lex calmly looks at each of them, pops his shoulders and carefully got in his fighting stance. The drones charge at him first as he stays in his stance waiting for them. The first one tries to right hook punch but he ducks and uppercuts the drone sending, it skidding across the floor. Another combat drone dashes towards Lex and goes for a jump spin kick. Lex ducks and does a side scorpion kick at the drone's face before grabbing it legs to yank it off its feet and perform a straight ankle lock to break the drone's leg. When another drone attacks, Lex back kip up to get back on his feet just in time to counter the drone's punch with rotational wristlock. When another combat drone tries to intervene, Lex throws the drone he has in a wrist lock on the other combat drone followed by doing a spin side kick on both drones.

"He's amazing even with the new suit makes him better." Ladia compliments.

Another combat drone tries to do a spin heel kick which Lex lays back a little to dodge and follows up with a series of powerful punches to the drone's chest and face before finishing it off with a powerful butterfly kick to it's temple. When the final Combat Drone grabs Lex, Lex performs a rotational wristlock followed by a scissor kick to its head before finishing the drone off with an armbar break.

"Well done Lex. Well done. Looks like the suit suits you."

Lex gets up and dusts himself off.

(through mic) "I demand a rematch." Heckins requests.

"Maybe later Heckins."

"Next is the armed combat scenario. Your old combat knife is in here waiting for you." Ladia mentions as she opens the door for Lex.

Lex walks in and sees his old combat knife. He picks it up and inspects it. The knife resembled a Warren Thomas Yori Toshi with the handle covered with a Traditional Japanese cord wrapping.

"Ah my old combat knife. Haven't used it since the Fall of Reach."

"By your request we were able to repair it and rebuild it from scratch using a new metal that's become standard issue for all military personnel. This should now allow you to pierce through and slash even through Brute armor." Ladia answers as she takes a seat on a desk and smiles.

"Thank you doctor." He puts his knife away on the sheath on left side of his waist. He grabs a standard Battlerifle and a standard pistol.

"Alright for your next test, you need to do the armed combat scenario, which means target practice. Afterwords your last test will be on the armor's abilities. Okay."

"Okay." Lex loads his rifle and checks the ammo. He enters the target practice room and aims at nothing waiting for the first target to come up.

"Alright, three, two, one, and go!" Ladia presses a button and hologram enemies appear.

He takes aim as the targets begin moving around from high and low. He gets the first shot from the one hiding behind a rock. He next shoots a grunt that was moving rapidly, kills it and gains 50 points. When an elite enemy appears he quickly shoots down its shields before drawing his pistol to do a headshot to kill it and get 200 points.

"Quick drawer. Never knew you could do that Spartan." Ladia said with a surprise.

A few Jackle enemies appear and Lex shot the vulnerable spots before headshooting them to get 100 points.A few brute enemies arrive and Lex quickly shoots them down to score 250 points. The next targets came out were the Hunter targets.

"Gotta wait for the right time." Lex patiently waits until the holo hunter turned around and takes the shot gaining 500 points.

(through mic) "Amazing shots sir." Heckins complimented.

"Alright, now you ready to test out your armor's abilities?" Ladia asked next.

"Alright then."

Lex places his guns down as Ladia presses a few buttons and pulls up a hologram of the suit for Lex.

"Alright, your suit's armor ability is active camouflage, allowing you to turn invisible for a brief moment. It also features a Sensor support upgrade armor mod that increases the range of your radar. Finally it has a mobility tactical software update for you to sprint indifferently." Ladia mentions.

"Amazing. These abilities should be useful on the battlefield."

Ladia presses the button to turn the hologram off. "Well you've proved positive on all your tests, your suit adjusts to you nicely. And all and all you're all ready for the next mission." Ladia finishes.

"That's fine. Testing Camouflage now." Lex presses a button as he completely disappears.

(through mic) "Well sir when you're done testing out your camouflage, Dr. Ladia has to report your status with the armor with Commander Alex. In the meantime, your "little sister" has been meaning to reach you." Heckins alerts Lex.

"Alright then. White, you wanted to talk?"

(through mic) "Yes Lex, just wanted to let you know the female elite is doing much better and is now fully stable. The doctors say she should wake up within a few hours. Feel free to join me in the med bay." White tells Lex.

"Alright then. I'll be up there soon."

Lex deactivates his active camo. "Well Ladia I got to go check on the status of the elite general we caught. Thanks for the armor and update training."

"No problem big guy. I'll send the results to your Commander."

Lex exits the science room and makes his way over to the the med bay. Once there he meets White in the observation room. They see the female elite only in a med robe in a med bed with several I.V.s on her as well as a breathing mask to help her breath. He leg was fully cast and fixed with the bone back in its place.

White takes notice of Lex's new armor. "Nice new armor there Lex, did you just get it?"

"Yep." Lex takes a seat and takes his helmet off. White takes a seat next to him and takes her helmet off. She was of Asian descent that had a very pretty short purple punk hair style curled down with one eye covered, and candy purple lipstick.

"So how she doing?" Lex asks.

"She's doing fine now. Still sleeping though." White answers.

"Has she said anything since then?"

"Nothing really."

Lex sighs as he lays back in his seat. "What do you think White. Should we trust her when she wakes up?"

"That's not my place. It's your place. We we're only ordered to bring her in but for what is the question."

"I don't know, allots going on White. We may be fighting a new and more savage Covenant very soon."

"Maybe. I believe that too Lex."

Lex remains silent for a moment. "So how's the team holding up?" Lex asks.

"The team is doing well even with the newbie on the team. I think we're doing well." White answers.

"He maybe a newbie as a Spartan but I'm pretty sure he's got plenty of experience in war since he was an ODST before joining us."

"Yeah I guess so."

The two remain silent for another moment.

"Well I'm going off to go check up on the team. Let me know when she wakes up." White asks as she gets up and exits the door while carrying her helmet.

"Will do." Lex begins to relax a bit until he starts to doze off and falls asleep. As he sleeps he begins to hear a goddess like voice calling out to him.

" _You cannot hide from me forever…"_ the voice spoke to him.

He struggles a bit hearing her voice calling out to him. "Hide from who? You?" Lex asks.

When he wakes up he sees no one there. When he saw the female elite still in her room asleep he sighed.

"I really need to take things easy. I'm starting to lose it." Lex lays back at his seat and stares at the ceiling.

It was almost around that time he heard the female elite stir in her sleep and he switched his attention back to her. Seeing that she was about to wake up, Lex stood up and decided to go check on their new guest.


	4. The Handler

Dena found herself slowly waking up from a very deep sleep she was in. How she ended up like this she didn't remember. All she could remember was the brief image of a spartan staring at her with his emotionless helmet. When she woke her eyes up, she found that her vision was blurry. Almost immediately she felt a far pain all over her along with the feeling of coming on her good arm, her very bad broken leg, her ribs, and her mouth. Her vision was too blurry for her to make out anything but at least she was able to hear.

From the sounds of heart beat meter closeby and the feeling of liquid entering her veins, she could guess she was in a hospital room. When she took a few breaths, she realized she had a breathing mask on her wanted to move but the pain from moving prevented her from doing so. Not too mention her vision was to blurry so moving anyrate would not be wise on her part. At least the bed she was in was very soft.

"Well sleepyhead. Glad you're finally awake."

Her eyes jumped up in fear and alert. She moved her head frantically for who said that. Her vision was getting better but it was still very blurry. When she looked at the far corner, she saw a large image the shape of a human, a Spartan.

She panicked and fear hit her hard as she tried struggling to get out of the bed she was in but found that everytime she moved it hurt like hell all over her. Despite this, it did not stop her from desperately trying to get out.

"Hey. Relax. We're not here to hurt you. We just rescued you. So relax." Lex approaches slowly

She felt a hand gently push down on her to keep her in the bed. With the Spartan this close she was finally able to see him clearly. It sounded like the spartan that stuck her with whatever, but he wore a different armor. His appearance still scared as she gulped and whimpered slightly "Please don't hurt me…"

"I'm not gonna hurt you okay?" He takes off his helmet revealing his face to her.

She wasn't able to see his face clearly but she knew that he took his helmet off. Since he haven't hurt her yet and since of her current condition, she had no choice but to relax and trust this Spartan.

"Trust me. We're only here to help you. Please don't be scared."

"Where...where am I?" she asked weakly.

"You're in a UNSC medic bay. You nearly died." Lex answers.

It was in that moment she realized that she was not in her armor. To think about it she wasn't wearing anything except some medical robe and the bed's blanket to cover her. She blushed a purple color and looked down the blanket.

"Where are my armor and clothes?" she asked somewhat scared.

"Damaged from the crash you took. Couldn't let you wear that damaged armor."

"Who undressed me?" she asked.

"Just some nurses, relax they and no one saw anything." He answers.

Dena sighs and lays her head back down on the pillow. Staring at the ceiling while her vision slowly returned to her normally.

"May I ask you something?" Lex asks.

Dena gulps nervously. "Yes you may."

"What's your name?" He asks.

Dena tried lifting her head to look at him. With her vision mostly returned she was able to see his real face now. He wasn't anything she imagined a Spartan to look like without his or her helmet. Despite his rough and battle hardened militaristic look, he had a soft smile on his face and his eyes had a kindness to them that for some reason made her think she could trust him.

"Dena 'Veryanee." she answered with a small blush.

"I'm John Lexington. I'm guessing you already know I'm a Spartan."

She lays her head back down on the pillow. "Yes…"

"Is something wrong?" He asks.

"I just feel so weak and hurt…"

"Well the crash did mess you up heavily. So it would be wise not to move."

"What happened, all I remember was being put to sleep by you, followed by the sounds of Covenant coming."

"The Brutes were looking for you. But we stopped them at their tracks. For now anyways."

"The Brutes?" she asked almost surprised.

"Yes they were looking for you but for what? I don't know."

"I don't know what Brutes are doing in this. But I have to speak to someone in charge it's of the highest importance."

Lex taps on his comm "Of course. Commander Alexander, the Sangheili wants to speak to you."

(through mic) "Understood, on my way."

"He's on his way up here right now."

Dena sighs and relaxes a little. After a few minutes of waiting, Alex arrives to the medic bay.

"Ma'am I'm Commander Alex, I'm the Spartan in charge of this base. My lieutenant here says you wanted to talk to me. So what do you have in mind?" Alex asks Dena.

"Of course." She answers.

Alex and Lex take a seat as Alex turns on his recorder. "Go ahead."

"Dena, we've found your ship crash landed at Morning Lake. Can you tell us why you crash landed on UNSC grounds and why the Covenant where after you?" Lex asks.

"I only came here because I have crucial information from my database. I only crash landed because I was attacked by them. I didn't mean bring them here." Dena answers.

"Can you tell us what this crucial information is?" Alex asks next.

"I seem not to have it with me. It must be in my armor."

"We're having some people at the lab take a look at your armor. They'll get the information if it is in there. But can you tell us why you, an Elite General of Jul's Covenant wanted to give us the UNSC this information?" Lex asks next.

"I wanted to give you this information because I was tired of this misleading organization. It has sicken me since the Fall of Reach. I couldn't bare it anymore. So I stole information from Jul's Covenant to support the UNSC and other Swords of Sangheili."

Alex looks at Lex. "Sensors show she's telling the truth." Alex looks back at Dena. "Do you have any idea what the information is, can you tell us anything about it that you may have read when you stole it?"

"I do not know. It was something far more highly advanced than the technology not even the Brutes understand. It was something… Promethean."

"Promethean huh?" Lex comments.

"I see, can you tell us your name?" Alex asks next.

"Dena Veryanee is my name."

"Alright." Alex turns the recording off. "Ma'am I'm going to let you rest for the moment. Lex will be back to give you update on what we find and what we're going to do with you. However we thank you for this info and rest assured you are now in good hands."

"Of course Commander. I would like to thank you for not neutralizing me."

Alex and Lex get up and exit the room, leaving Dena to close eyes, lay her head on her pillow and rest.

Lex follows Alex into a room.

"Well Lex, I'm not sure what to think but I guess I'm glad she's on our side."

"How can we be sure?" He asks.

"Well the sensors say she wasn't lying. But on another hand. We just got another set of orders on what to do with her." Alex calmly crosses his arms behind his back.

"Alright then but I'm keeping my eyes on her. Incase if she tries anything."

"Oh don't worry son, you're going to be keeping more than just eyes on her. I reported this to Infinity. And as much as it seriously pissed Commander Sarah Palmer off. Captain Lasky has ordered that Oracle team is now in charge of keeping an eye on her and to make sure that the Covenant are not to take her back. And to make sure this is done, they've sent a representative from Infinity to be your group's new handler."

"And who's that sir?"

"He's right behind you."

Lex quickly turns around to see a Spartan wearing a dark GEN 2 Venator Spartan armor with light blue markings and a silver colored visor. He was laying back in dark the far corner of wall with his arms crossed. He was barely visible from the darkness in the room.

"The hell?" Lex asked in confusion.

"Lex this is Special Agent Joseph of the UNSC Infinity. As of right now, he's going to be observing Oracle Team's mission with Dena." Alex introduced Joseph.

"He'll be observing us?" Lex asks.

"From both in and out of the shadows rather you guys know it or not. He's the top Hand-to-hand and Long-Range Combat specialist within the UNSC's Spartan program."

"Very well then. I'm guessing you're the silent treatment kind."

Joseph does not respond.

"Yeah he doesn't talk much." Alex told Lex.

"I can see. Hopefully he doesn't shoot me in the back."

"That would be up to you if he does or not." Alex pats Lex on the shoulder and exits the room. Leaving Lex alone with Joseph.

"Okay. Very awkward."

Joseph does not respond.

"I'm gonna go now and let my team know of the situation." Lex while Joseph looks at Lex and watches him leave.

Lex arrives at his team's barracks. He saw Hogan and Jared playing a card game while White was busy taking a nap on the couch closeby. All three of their helmets were off. Hogan was of caucasian descent with short dark red hair and red eyes. Jared was of African diaspora with a short bound beard, a dreadlock braid tied with a band and brown eyes.

"So Jared, any ideas what they're going to do with the female elite general?" Hogan asked as he looked at his hand of cards.

"I don't know. Seeing her in that condition. She's probably desperate for help."

Hogan sighs as he throws his hand of cards down. White notices Lex entering and stands in attention.

"Squad leader on deck." she salutes as Hogan and Jared get up and do the same.

"At ease Spartans."

"Nice armor sir." Jared comments.

"Yeah how do I get a new set of armor?" Hogan asks.

"Doing a shit ton of missions that's all I'll say. Alright grab a seat we got a lot to talk about."

Lex and the team all take a seat.

"What's this about sir?" White asks.

"Well you see have you ever felt like you're being watched?" Lex asks.

"Yes sir, I feel like I'm always being watched, when I eat, sleep, fight, and even take a shit sir." Jared joked.

"Well it seems since we've retrieved the Sangheili general were kind of being watched from here on out. By another Spartan."

"What now sir?" Hogan asked.

Suddenly, Joseph enters the room. Everyone turns to look at him as he stares at them calmly almost without emotion.

"Guys. This is special agent Joseph of the Infinity. As of now he's going to be watching and reporting everything we do with the female elite general from both in and out of the shadows, rather we know it or not." Lex states.

"So he's gonna be watching us? All the time?" White asks.

"Yes all the time for the entire duration of the mission with keeping watch on the Female Elite general." Lex answers.

"Well ain't this gonna a show for him." Hogan jokes.

Joseph does not respond.

"Silent treatment?" Jared asks.

Joseph does not respond.

"Figures." White crosses her arms with a less impressed look.

Joseph does not respond.

"So what now, Lex?" Jared asks.

"Now for our mission. We've been assigned to guard and keep watch on the Elite general. I found out that her name is "Dena 'Veryanee. So far she's defected from the Covenant to join us and any who oppose them. Claims she tired of their ruthless pointless killing. I'm not sure if she's to be trusted but the sensors say she's not lying. Also she brought vital information which the lab guys are currently looking into. It was this vital information that almost got her killed in the attempt to bring to us." Lex answers.

"Do we know what it is?" Hogan ask.

"Not yet."

"So what do we do now? Just sit around and do nothing?" White asks.

"Until they find the info or until Dena wakes up, we sit and do nothing for the moment."

"Alright then. Let's just hope she heals nicely. By the way… full house. You owe $30 now." Jared Comments.

Hogan looks at the cards and sighs. "Cheating bastard." he grumbles as he pulls out thirty dollars from his locker."

Joseph suddenly begins walking off to the far end of the room, takes a seat and observes everyone quietly.

"Um Lex, permission to speak privately." White requests.

"Sure." Lex walks with White into another room as she shuts the door.

"I like to state I am not very comfortable having a special agent breathing down my neck rather I know he's there or not recording and reporting every single thing I do." White crosses her arms.

"Trust me White. I don't like this anymore than you do."

"Then why don't you do something about it? You're the team leader you should be able to state the grounds rules of personal privacy."

"I can't. It's out of my hands."

White rubs her face. "Shit…"

"Yeah I know. I wish this didn't have to happen."

"Why does he have to record and report everything we do as long this mission with the elite general is on. Do they not trust us to handle an elite by ourselves?"

"White. If you been in the Human-Covenant War much longer than I've had. You would know the grudges held against the Sangheili's."

White pauses.

Lex gets a call from Alex. "Hey Lex, the general lady is awake. See if you can talk to her more since she's gotten used to you the most."

"Alright on my way."

Lex cuts the mic off. "Well I'm off to go see Dena again, keep an eye on the squad and our...watcher." Lex requests as he walks off.

White sighs and goes back in the room. She takes a seat with jared and Hogan as they noticed Joseph watching them closeby.

"That guy is starting to give me the creeps I shit you not guys." Hogan whispers.

"Yeah I know that feeling." Jared agreeing.

"So White, any ideas how we can Mr. Nosey off our backs?" Hogan whispers to White.

"I don't know but maybe something can distract him. Got anything to distract him?" White asks.

"Jared?" Hogan asks.

"I got something." Jared gets up and walks over to Joseph who does not respond.

"What do you have in mind?" White asks.

Jared walks to Joseph and smirk.

"So, special agent Joseph for Infinity. Assigned to observe our team. In a way, that makes you a new member. But before you can have the right to walk with us. You got to prove your worth and beat me in a hand to hand face to face no hold bars fight. Got the balls?" Jared's smirk grows.

Joseph does not respond.

"I'm sure he can. With the silent treatment I'm sure he'll kick your ass." Hogan comments.

"Piss off rookie. I kicked your ass in poker I can kick his ass in a cqc fight."

Joseph suddenly got up and motioned his hand for Jared to lead the way.

"Well ain't this gonna be fun." White says with an interested look and follows them.

Lex finally made it back to the med bay at Dena's room to see that she was awake. Before he entered he saw that she was nervous about something. Which he could only guess it maybe because of some people may not like her being here. Lex's knocks on her door before entering.

"Come in…" she said softly.

Lex walks in and sees her nervous. "Hello Dena."

"H...hello Lex…" she answered nervously.

"How are you feeling now?" He asks.

"Not any better then when you last left a few hours ago after questioning me."

"I'm sorry it made you uncomfortable."

"No, it's...I just...I know there are probably people in this base that are not very happy with me being here."

"Trust me I understand how you're feeling right now."

She looks up. "You do?"

"Yes, I do." Lex leans against a table and crosses his arms.

"How?"

"The way people are looking at you because of you coming from the Covenant. They're judging you for your status as a general and during your time on Reach." Lex answers.

"But how do you understand?"

"Well...it may not look it but the human race has a long, long, long history of judging others for what they are and not for who they are. I've experienced it somewhat during my time. Yeah I was a super soldier. But even though people would never admitted it, they would call me a freak and other stuff behind my back. Because unlike most of the current Spartans, I was one of the few originals that was taken as a child and subjugated to it all from the very beginning of my childhood." Lex answered.

"Human's abducting their young for science experiments? That's an abomination." Dena replies.

"Well you could say the Covenant forced humanity to result to that. But if you ask me, I think they just used the Covenant war as an excuse to go through with it. Either way it never does make sense to me. But I understand how your feeling." Lex answers.

Dena sighs and lays back some more. "Oh thank you for your concern. I appreciate your thought."

"Well, I got orders from command. For now we are to watch and guard you until they say otherwise. So you and I are going to get very well acquainted."

"How long will this be?"

"Until they say otherwise, could be a day, week, month, year. Who knows. Its untill they say otherwise. Be advice they sent this creepy stalker Spartan to observe and report everything we do with you. So there's gonna be a guy watching you and us rather we know it or not for now."

"You mean that Spartan that hasn't said a word?"

"Yeah how do you know him?"

"He's on the T.V. about to fight another spartan." Dena motions for the T.V. as it shows Joseph and Jared in the combat arena. He along with White and Hogan had their helmets back on. Hogan and White stand in the gather crowd of soldiers as they all cheered for Jared.

"What?" Lex looks at the T.V. and runs out the room to the combat arena observe room. He approaches White and Hogan. "What's going on?"

"Were about to watch Jared gets his ass kicked by Joseph." White answers.

In the combat arena. Jared gets pumped up as he listens to the chants of the crowed while the music of **Bad To The Bone - George Thorogood** played. Joseph just stood emotionlessly still and made not a single movement.

"Alright. Let's put on a show. Come on Joseph. Give it all you got."

Joseph does not respond.

Jared charges at him as right hooks but Joseph ducks his punch. Joseph got back up and did just stood quietly.

"How is he this quick?" Jared asks himself.

Joseph just stood quietly.

Jared takes another charge at him again with another swing at him and a high kick. Joseph easily dodges all of Jared's attacks and just stands calmly still.

"Will you hit me already?" Jared asks.

Joseph does not respond.

Jared charges once again but one he got close Joseph dodges another punch and does a counter hook punch so hard he knock Jared helmet flying right off and send him hitting the ground hard. When the helmet came falling down, Joseph caught the helmet and tossed it over to Jared.

The entire scene silenced the crowd and shocked everyone.

"Well at least I know what I'm up against." Lex comments from Dena's room.

Jared got up and puts his helmet back on. "Lucky shot." he popped his neck.

Joseph didn't respond.

"Come on. Let's go." Jared taunts.

Suddenly Joseph dashed at jared and jump kneed him right in the chin before following up with a scissors kick to the neck and throw him to the ground. Just as Jared got up, Joseph did a spin heel kick to his face and follows up with a backflip kick to knock him back a few feet.

The attacks really did hurt Jared but he shrugged them off and charged at Joseph and does a series of punches. Joseph easily dodges them before catching one of his punches with one hand. Jared was unable to move his fist back in time for Joseph to twist his wrist in a wrist lock before doing a wrist throw to throw Jared hard on the ground.

"Holy shit this dude is kicking his ass." Hogan comments.

The wrist throw actually snapped Jared's wrist but he snaps it back in place and turns to Joseph. Joseph just stood their calmly and emotionlessly.

"I'm not done yet!" Jared yells.

Joseph does not respond.

Jared charges again like a bull and actually got his hit on Joseph in the face. However Joseph acted like he was unfaced or hurt from the ordeal, and simply grabbed Jared's wrist and does a painful wrist lock before doing a outside wrist throw followed by an arm bar to snap jared's arm in two.

Joseph kip ups to his feet while Jared snapped his arm back in place. Once Jared got to his knees, Joseph elbow smashes the top of his followed by uppercutting punching him in the chin. Joseph does a spin side kick to his face before grabbing the back of his head and smashing him hard back on the ground.

"Hey Jared." Hogan calls out.

Jared looks at Hogan.

"He's a more serious badass then you.' Hogan explains.

"Shut up!" Jared yells at him.

Joseph took a few steps back to allow Jared to get back up.

"What's the matter, huh? Not gonna finish me?!" He taunts again.

Joseph does not respond.

"Come on. Don't just stand there!"

Joseph does not respond. Jared charges at him, he boosts towards him as his punch misses him. Joseph suddenly grabs Jared by the arm and uses his momentum to throw him off onto his back. Joseph prepares to do a powerful punch that made Jared flinch. However when Jared did not feel anything, he opened his eyes to see Joseph had stopped his punch by mere inches. After that, Joseph stood up and walked off quietly.

"Where are you going? Aren't you gonna finish me?" Jared asks.

Joseph does not answer, he just continues walking off not saying a word.

"Jared, that's enough." Lex speaks through the mic.

"Sir I can beat him just let me get another shot at him." Jared requested.

"No. Enough of your childish ways."

Jared sighed in defeat. "Yes sir, sorry sir, just trying to get him off our backs sir."

"Look he's gonna observe us either you like it or not."

"Yes sir." Jared gets up while Hogan and White help him up.

"Looks like you owe me back my thirty dollars." Hogan comments.

Jared hands him back his money he won earlier. "Asshole."

Back at Dena's room, Lex sighed seeing Jared stopped. When he looked back at Dena she seemed even more nervous almost frightened by what she saw.

"That's going to be the Spartan who watches our every move?"

"Yes. Every move we make."

Dena gulped nervously in fear.

"Don't worry. I won't let him hurt you."

"I haven't seen anything of such terrifying skill since the Demon himself." Dena comments.

"What demon?"

"You know the Demon, the Spartan who stopped the Prophets from activating Halo. The one who brought down the original Covenant with the help of the Arbiter."

"You mean John-117."

"He is also known as the Master Chief yes."

"Yes that's correct but he's no demon."

"I know, it's just the name all Elites have come to know him by. You could say it's a title or something, as a sign of respect."

"Well it's not really."

Dena remains silent for a moment.

"Still, I haven't seen anything that dangerous since the Demon. How can you stop something that dangerous?" she asked.

"I honestly don't know but I won't let him touch you."

Dena sighs.

"I swear my life on it. I was ordered to guard you and I promise to keep that."

Dena remains silent.

"Try getting some more sleep it looks like you haven't been sleeping at all."

"Can you stay please."

Lex raises an eyebrow. "I'm sorry."

"Please stay, I'm not in the condition to defend myself if something to happen. And it's what keeps me from sleeping. Please stay." Dena asks.

"Well I don't see why not."

Lex takes a seat next to her. She smiles and closes her eyes knowing he's close by.


	5. Warning Signs

**Two Weeks Later...**

Two weeks have past since Oracle found Dena and brought her back to Alamo base. The entire time they had her mainly stay in her medical room bed ridden. Once she had recovered a little and was now at least able to get to some places by the use of a wheel chair. She was allowed a brief little tour around the facility to get to know the area more. Even though the base's scientists were still unable to crack the information in her armor. Once she was able to get to place to place, she spent the other amount of time trying to help them decipher the information as best she could.

Also during these two weeks, it was Lex's top job to insure of her safety at all times. In other words he had to be her bodyguard while on base. Neither him or the team got any new missions so everyone spent their time getting the R & R they needed or continue practicing to perfect their combat skills. During all of this, Lex would notice Special Agent Joseph observing them from a distance or anywhere. He sometimes wondered if this guy would be spying on them even when they were in the bathroom. It was, very uncomfortable. On the bright side at least he wasn't a jackass like most other who have this type of job would be. Come to think of it, Jared once joked he may be a robot on how emotionless and quiet he seemed to be.

Currently Lex was taking a nap in Dena's room while she was asleep. He heard some struggling going on and opened his eyes slightly. He saw Dena trying to stand up while struggling to get dressed in the clothes the nurses brought her earlier.

"Dena, what are you doing?" Lex asks.

Dena's face turned purple in a blush.

"Um, I'm trying to get dressed, but I'm having some trouble you see with my leg and all." she answered shyly.

"I think you should rest more because of that."

Dena sighed. "Alright." she answered in slight disappointment. She set the clothes down and got back in bed.

"I'm sorry but I don't want you getting hurt anymore than you already are. Your arm and ribs maybe doing better but your leg was the most serious injury and the most fragile at this moment."

"True. You know Lex. I've been with your people for two weeks now, helping you to deceiver the information. But I haven't had the chance to meet your team. The other people who saved me. Can I meet them later?" she asked turning her head to face him.

"Of course. I'll bring them up later." Lex agrees.

"Mind if we talk a little?"

"Sure. What's on your mind?" He asked as he layed back on his seat.

"Well, what can you tell me about yourself. How did you become a Spartan?" she asked curiously.

"Well I was from Earth originally but in the year 2530 I later on moved to New Alexandria on Reach but later on my parents abandoned me when I was 10 as I was forced to go to orphanage." Lex started.

Dena was shocked to hear this but she stayed quiet to let Lex continue.

"One day I was adopted by Dr. Catherine Halsey, one year before the SPARTAN-III Program actually began. 2532; a year after the SPARTAN-III Program began as a secret project for super soldiers and began genetical engineering prepping his body for the Human-Covenant War. After a couple of years of intense training I became the best SPARTAN-III ever created in one of the Spartan programs, codenamed Lex-A219."

Lex paused for a moment.

"Go on." Dena kindly encouraged.

"After the Human-Covenant War arrived at the humans footsteps, I was deployed to fight alongside. Thing was I was a lone wolf type of rogue Spartan for the time. Being about 4 years later. Later I realized I can't fight alone anymore and I had to team up with another Spartan named Jenny White or Jen-B288. Since then we worked as a team and got along nicely. When the Fall of Reach came closer than expected, we were deployed near Aszod to fight off the Covenant invasion so the Pillar of Autumn could get away. But we were overrun and outnumbered as every Spartan was killed on sight and were forced to retreat while Noble Six holds off the Covenant. By then Jun, me and Jenny were the last remaining SPARTAN-III's to ever survive the invasion." Lex finished.

"My gods. Who knew such sacrifice comes such a long way. That's why I deserted the Covenant. To prevent another war like that. Never again will I ever join them."

"Speaking of which I'm curious about you. What's your backstory and how did you end up joining the Covenant if you didn't like them to begin with?" Lex asked.

"I have nothing much to share Spartan. Only that my father was a general and of noble bloodline. That's how I was able to know who he is. I come from a long line of generals since the Covenant was first forged… but now I see what they truly are."

"So you joined the Covenant because it was a family thing?"

"Yes, I wanted to keep my father's tradition." She answers.

"How did your father react during the Great Schism?"

Dena got a little sad and looked down on her bed sheets, gripping them tightly.

"He was one of the many victims of it. Killed by a Brute whose name I have yet found to this day. I stayed with the Covenant only to see if I could find the name of the Brute who killed him to avenge my father and bring honor back to my family's name."

"So you want to avenge your father even after the things he's done?"

"My father was a great leader. But not once in his life did he ever have the freedom to ever speak his opinion or state his concerns regarding the war. He never said it but I could tell by the look in his eyes he was deeply regretful for some of his actions. And when they killed him, he died knowing that everything he did and that his whole career was fought for nothing but a lie. He died without ever having the chance to redeem himself. So I will redeem him in his stead." Dena answered.

"So you were just like your father regardless."

Dena smiled. "My mother used to always say I was allot like him."

"I can tell."

Dena sighs. "My father and my entire family line were slaves to the Covenant and they didn't know it. When my father knew the truth, the last thing he wanted from me was to redeem our family for everything we have done in service for the Covenant. And make them pay for using us for this time. So I will honor his last wish, find the brute that killed him and bring honor back to our family."

"I truly understand. Welcome to the Oracle Fireteam."

Dena's head shot up.

"Wait, you want me to be part of your Spartan Team?" She asked surprised.

"The dedication you have for your family's honor, the hatred you have for the Brute and Covenant, and the risks you have taken to try and help us. It truly shows how much you would be an asset to the team. Will you join my team?" Lex asks.

Dena was beyond stunned and shocked to be asked and given for such an honor. She was so shocked that she was speechless and was quite for the next minute. After recovering she answered.

"Yes. I will you join your fireteam."

He reaches out to her, she takes his hand and shakes on it.

Welcome to the team. Now get some rest please, when you wake up I'll introduce you to your fellow squadmates. In the meantime, I need to go kiss Commander Alex's ass for permission to put you on the team." Lex joked.

Dena giggled at his joke. He smiled seeing her laugh as he walked out. Dena smiled seeing him walk out. She laid her head down on the pillow and closed her eyes to get some rest.

Sometime later, Lex was sitting in a conference room at a table with Alex in front of him.

"Let me get this straight, you went and made Dena a member of Oracle Team. Without talking to me about it first?" Alex asked.

"Yes sir. I believe she can be a great asset to the team."

"And you know very well that I'm the one who has the yes and no say so to make it official. So you're here to kiss my ass for permission to make your request official. Correct?"

"I don't like doing it sir but you're making it look like it." Lex answers.

"I don't mean in a literal since. However, I'm not without reason. The girl has shown herself capable, she's been quite the help with the lab boys trying to figure out that information she found. So this is what I'm going to do. I'm going to make it official and let you make her a member of your team. But Lieutenant, I'll ask in return that you keep the most solid sharpest eye on her. And Lex, don't make me regret my decision, understand?" Alex asked in all seriousness.

"Yes sir. Thank you, sir."

"You can thank me later. Now if you will excuse me I gotta go do some ass kissing of my own to make sure that command doesn't court martial us for this. Have a nice day I'll see you later." Alex answers as he gets up and walks off.

"Yes sir and thank you again sir."

Lex let out a very heavy sigh as he leaned back and felt very relieved. For a moment there he thought Alex could've blown a fuse and have him court martialed. Lucky that wasn't the case. Now he just had to figure out how to break it to the team. Or perhaps he should wait until Alex finished speaking to command. Because there's no telling what Joseph could report to command if he went and said something before Alex did. Thinking he needed to wait some more, Lex got up and headed off to the cafeteria.

Lex arrived at the cafeteria and waited in line along with the other soldiers and scientists and various other people that worked here at Alamo base. It felt a little awkward for him considering he was still in his Spartan armor and he was one of the very few Spartans in the cafeteria.

"It's strange people to see me like this." Lex comments.

Lex grabs a plate full of his favorite food, and figured he might as well grab a plate for Dena since he was there and there was no telling when she last ate.

"Hey Lex." Lex heard Dr. Ladia walk up.

"Oh hey Doc how're you doing?" Lex greeted her with a smile.

"I'm on my break shift. Mind if we sit at a table please. I want to talk to you about your armor and how've you been doing in it." She requested with a small blush on her face.

"Of course doc."

Lex brought both his and Dena's plate with him as he took a seat with Ladia.

"So...has the armor been doing well for you. I know you haven't had the chance to get actual field action yet." she states calmly.

"Well the armor is doing great for me."

Ladia sighs in relief. "Glad its doing great, you know it wasn't easy getting that armor fixed up. We had to make it from just notes, blueprints, and from spare parts from the GEN 1 model. So out of all the Spartan armors available, why pick this one?"

"I just found them interesting since I saw that armor and that it was very rare."

"It was more than very rare." Ladia takes a bite of her lasagna. "So I see you got yourself two full plates of food. Are you that hungry or is it for someone else?"

"Yeah… you know how hungry Spartans get. I mean we never have the time to eat."

"True but that's awful lot for just one person. You sure it's not for another person. Maybe a girlfriend or something?" Ladia winked.

"What? I don't have a girlfriend and I'm extremely hungry. Ladia, I'll see you later." Lex picks up the plates, gets up and walks off with them back to the medic bay. Ladia watches him leave, a little sad and regretful of her actions.

Meanwhile, he heads back to Dena's room with their plates of food. He found Dena still resting but was quietly waking up.

"Hey just in time." Lex greets with a smile.

"Oh. Spartan Lexington. What brings you back here?" She asks.

Lex shows the plates of food. "Figured you maybe hungry so I grabbed lunch for us. Today's specialty was Itallian, hope you like Lasagna."

"What is that?" she asked curiously.

"It's a popular human food." Lex places her plate on her bed table. "Here, give it a try." he sat down and started digging in fast with his Lasagna.

"I never had human food before. It's not going to kill me is it?" Dena asks.

"It shouldn't." Lex answered with a mouth full of Lasagna before gulping it down and washing it down with some soda.

"If you say so." She takes a fork, sticks it into the lasagna, slowly picks it up and takes a tiny bite. She takes a liking in it and eats more of it. "It's… delicious."

Lex gives her a thumbs up and continues on eating his plate.

"I may require a refreshment." Dena requests.

"That's what the can of soda is there right next to your plate." Lex points to her can of soda.

"Very well. What does it contain?"

"Soda, for your case. orange soda."

"What is this "soda" you speak of?" She asks.

"Soda is one of the best refreshments in the world, especially orange flavor." Lex answers.

Dena picks up the can but does not know to how to open the can.

"Here, let me get that for you." Lex gently places his hand on her can and opens the drink for her.

"Oh thank you."

Lex sits back and continues eating while Dena stretches her mandibles and tries drinking it but almost spilled it.

"Hold on." Lex sits a straw in the drink. "This is called a straw, it's another way we drink our refreshments. Give it a try."

Dena nods, gently sticks the straw down her open mouth and sucks some of the orange soda in.

"It's quite refreshing. Why is it so spicy?" Dena asks.

"Orange soda spicy? Um, I have no idea it's usually not spicy for me. Must be the Lasagna you're eating. That stuff can be spicy."

"No, it has the orange taste as you said but it tastes spicy for some odd reason."

"Oh that's the bubbles."

"Bubbles?"

"Yeah, all sodas have these bubbles in them that I guess you could say give it more flavor." Lex answers.

"It's delicious."

"Glad you like it. For a moment, I thought you were going to puke alien goo at me." Lex jokes with a chuckle.

"Alien goo?" Dena tilts her head in confusion.

"Nevermind."

"Please elaborate on me. I want to know this "alien goo" you speak of." Dena requests.

"Um, just an old reference from a very old human video that involves what we thought may have existed in the universe before we reached out further. It's actually pretty hard to explain." Lex answered.

"You mean you think that we vomit this "alien goo"?

"Nah, just making a joke. I already have an extensive study of the entire Sangheili anatomy and I know you guys don't vomit alien goo. How else do you think I knew where to stick you with a sedative to calm you down back when I first saved you?"

"Ah, quite impressive." She says as she takes another sip of her orange soda.

"Yeah I guess. Though how I learned was not a pretty story that you may think."

"How so?"

"Years of fighting Sangheili and that's all I'll say. Trust me you don't want to know the full details." Lex states slightly sad.

"I understand. I have mutual feelings for what I've done to the human race."

Lex sighs. "I guess we've both done horrible things in our careers."

"Yes we have. So many things we cannot stomach." She says as she finishes her meal and soda. She even burps from it. "Oh my. Excuse me." She blushes.

Lex gives a thumbs up. "Nice one." he smirks.

"Oh… thank you. I guess." She blushed feeling embarrassed.

"You'll be fine. I'm going to let you get some rest. Give me a call if you need anything. When you wake up I'll introduce you to the team."

"Of course Spartan and one more thing."

"Yes?"

"Thank you for this wonderful meal you've given me. It has been a long time since I've eaten anything."

"Anytime." he smiles and exits her room so she can go back to sleep. Lex head for the elevator and heads down to his team's barracks. He sighs and prepares himself. "And here we go."

The elevator arrives as he sees his team finishing eating their lunch.

"I'm telling you, I am dying for a set of cheese burgers. Feel like I can eat a hundred of those damn things." Jared mentions as he was laying on the couch.

"You and your damn cheese burgers Jared." Hogan states as he lays back on the couch.

"Hey team, where's Joseph?"

White points to the upper balcony. Lex looks up to see Joseph staring at all of them calmly.

"For four hours he hasn't moved an inch. I'm telling you that guy is a robot or something." White tells Lex.

"Maybe or he could be something else." Hogan thinks out loud.

"Right, anyrate. Team, I have news for all of you."

"God only knows what that is." Jared comments.

"Yep." White agreeing.

"Alright, I'll cut it to you short. Dena the female elite general is as of now part of our squad." Lex states quickly.

"What?!" Hogan jumps.

"What?!" Jared and White say at the same time.

Suddenly Joseph looks at Lex and hops down the balcony.

"Yeah, that's right Joseph. She's part of the team now."

"And whose bright idea was it sir?" Hogan asks.

"Mine." Lex answers.

Everyone just stares at Lex with disbelief.

"With all due respect, have you lost your mind sir?" Jared asks.

"No, I haven't. The only way I lose it if I blew my head off."

"When did you make this official and why didn't you tell us before hand?" White asks.

"It's official by commander Alex and she'll be a great asset to the team."

"And you didn't talk to us before you suddenly decided to make her a teammate behind our backs?" White asks.

"Because I knew how you all would've reacted especially Joseph."

"Joseph is not even a member of the team he's suppose to watch us. What do you think Joseph?" Hogan asks.

Joseph does not respond.

"See, quiet as always."

"Yes I'm aware of that but you'll see that she'll be great teammate. Isn't that right Joseph?"

Joseph does not respond.

"Well… either way you'll have to get used to her. Same goes for everyone else."

Everyone was silent for a moment before Hogan, Jared, and White all said. "Yes sir…" annoyingly.

Joseph looks at Lex a little before exiting the room. Lex watches him leave the room.

"I want you all to play nice with her when I bring her down here later. She is going to help us with anything she has on her."

The team didn't respond, they just nod in agreement.

"I expected better from all of you."

"So did we sir." White answered while Hogan and Jared nod in agreement.

"Listen I understand about the years we had with the Covenant. But she isn't part of them anymore. She despises every last one of them just as much as we and the Swords of Sanghelios."

The team all look at each other. He was right, there are elites who hate the Covenant like Arbiter and his faction of Elites. They guessed she could be one of them.

"Fine sir but this your package. Something happens it's all on you." Hogan states.

"Understand sir?" Jared agrees.

"Yes I know. But there is more to her than meets the eye."

"And next time, don't ever do anything like this behind our backs. We're a team a family. You should trust us more to talk to us about it first instead of doing so while we're not looking." White states.

"Yes I know. I apologize for that."

"With that aside and promised, we'll do what we can to tolerate her." White continues.

"Thank you White. Hogan, please play nice. That goes for you too Jared."

"Yes sir." the two grumbled to themselves.

"Alright I'm going to bring her down here in a moment. As for Joseph, I think he'll get along once he finds out Alex has talked to command about this."

Lex exits and takes the elevator back up. As he heads up, he gets a call from Heckins.

(through mic) "It's me sir. I just got report from Commander Alex. Are you sure you know what you're doing with letting this former elite general into your team?"

"Yes Heckins. I know what I'm doing."

(through mic) "Very well sir. Also I've been doing some digging into Special Agent Joseph as you requested sir. I'm afraid there's nothing much on him."

"Figures. He's those special agents that nobody wants to know about him. Covered most of his file with black ink. They really like keeping secrets as if like a lone wolf."

(through mic) "If I'm not mistaken weren't you a lone wolf yourself at one point before the fall of Reach?"

"Yes I was. What's your point?"

(through mic) "Nothing sir. He's currently speaking with Captain Lasky to see if Command has approved of your decision. From the conversation I shared with Commander Alex as well as with command. Your choice has been approved but command wants all your team members to keep a special eye on her."

"Of course I am."

(through mic) "Alright, in the meantime, Dr. Ladia would wish to speak to you regarding something involving the information from Ms. Dena's armor."

"Alright, tell her I'm on my way up."

(through mic) "Yes sir."

Lex walks over to the elevator and takes it down to the lab. He walks over to Ladia to see her working on a computer with Dena's busted armor closely.

"Hey there you are Lex. Listen sorry about earlier." she turns to him.

"About what?"

"About the whole girlfriend thing back at the cafeteria."

"Eh, don't worry about it. You said you needed me for something?"

"Yes, I think we're close to deciphering the information Dena had installed in her armor that she stole from the Covenant. I was wondering if you could go bring her here for me please. I figured we could finish this allot faster with her help."

"Of course doctor." He says as he walks back to the elevator and takes it up back to the medic bay.

Once up, he was about to enter her room when he saw her through the observation room. She was once again trying to stand up and put on the clothes the nurses brought her. Lex tries not to look through her opening on her nurse robe that exposed her lower rear end. Lex never got a good look at her and sees her dark blue skin with brown eyes. He also sees her large slim curvy body as she tries to put on her black sleeveless leather suit. The leather suit forms into place as it shows her large bubble butt rear end being shaped along with her large G cup-size breasts. It is only loose fitted due to her injuries. Lastly she puts on her sleeves but only covering up to her forearms. She finally stands up straight but trips a bit still feeling a little bit of pain as Lex runs to her to help her up.

"Hey take it easy. Still got those broken bones in you."

Dena breaths a little more and suddenly noticing how gentle he was helping her. It made her blush a little. "Um thank you. Sorry, I figured I should be dressed appropriately if I was going to meet the team."

"Well yes but take it slow okay. Can't risk you getting hurt again."

Dena sighs. "Alright…"

Dena calmly finishes putting on a wide sleeve pink robe on and sits down on a wheel chair. "How do I look?"

"Amazing." He answers without a thought.

She smiles. "Thank you."

"Are you ready to go meet my team?" He asks.

"I will admit I am nervous but I'm ready." she answered.

"Alright I'll push you there." Lex gets behind her and pushes her wheelchair out the room. As they were about to exit the med bay. They see Joseph standing in front of the entrance.

"Oh crap." Lex rubs his face.

Joseph stares at them for a moment before all of a sudden opening the door for them.

"Oh… thank you Joseph." He pushes Dena through the door as he cautiously looks back at him. Once they were through the door, Joseph exited and followed them calmly.

"How long will he be following us?" Dena asks.

"As long as he wants to." Lex answers.

Dena nods as they entered the elevator along with Joseph. They take the elevator down to the barracks and arrives. She was surprised to see the team but still feels nervous.

"Guys, this is General Dena 'Veryanee. Dena, this is Oracle Team."

"Greetings Oracle." Dena greets herself.

"Hey…" White, Hogan, and Jared all said at the same time.

"Your team is not surprised to see me, Lexington."

"I already let them know that you're part of the team now."

"They don't like me Lexington. Maybe this was a mistake." She whispered quietly.

"Don't say that, come on give it a shot."

Lex looks at his team.

"Team, state your name and ranks as well as your squad position."

White goes up first. "I'm Jenny White and I'm a Tech engineer expert."

Jared goes next. "Jared Anderson, Heavy Weapon Specialist."

Hogan doesn't want to go up next with his arms crossed. "Come on Hogan."

"Fine. Hogan Gordon, Squad Marksman and Surveillance specialist."

"And of course you know me. I'm a squadron leader and a Tactical specialist and this is Heckins."

A hologram of Heckins appears on the holotable close by.

"Greetings ma'am. I am Heckins, The assistant A.I. of Oracle Team."

"Greetings Heckins."

"And you know Special Agent Joseph who I guess is a part of the team. Even though he just watching us that's all."

Joseph does not respond.

"Why is he silent?" Dena asks.

"Hell if we know." Hogan answers.

"It is an honor to meet you all."

"So, now that we've met her, what now?" Jared asked.

"Well now Dena needs to get more rest. So I'm taking her back to her room."

"Um sir, what about Dr. Ladia's request to bring her to the lab to finish deciphering the information?" Heckins alerts.

"Ah yes that's right. Come along Dena."

Lex pushed Dena back in the elevator and takes it up to the science lab.

"I'm not sure if the team likes me that much. Are you sure this was a good idea?" she asked nervously.

"They'll have to get used to working with a ex-Covenant like Master Chief did with Arbiter."

"Yes, you are right."

The elevator reaches the science lab as they both walked out and approached Ladia.

"Hey there. How are we feeling today Ms. Dena?" Ladia asked.

"I'm feeling very well. Thank you for asking Ms…"

"Ladia. Dr. ladia. I'm in charge of the condition of Oracle Team's Armor and Equipment."

"Very well then Dr. Ladia. I was told you need my assistance."

"Yes, if it's not too much trouble I was wondering if you could help me finish deciphering the last bits of code embedded into your armor that contains the information you stole from the Covenant. I know you're still recovering and I can respect and understand that. It's just we can be done shortly if we tag team this." Ladia answers.

"Of course doctor. I shall help you as much as I can."

Ladia moves aside on her chair to allow Dena a chance to sit close by. "This may take a while Lex. If you like you can come back when we have the information or you can stay if you like." Ladia tells Lex.

"Alright then. I'll be back later." Lex walks out of the lab.

"Heckins are you there?" Ladia requests.

"Yes Doctor I'm here." Heckins answers as he appears on a nearby holotable.

"There you are. Great, I just need you to pull up what we have currently for ms Dena to take a look at and translate for us."

"Yes Doctor. Extracting now…" Heckins begins to examine, scan and extract data from the armor until he was hit with something into his systems and turned green to orange.

"Is everything okay Heckins?" Ladia asks.

Heckins rises and begins to read off the message planted into him. To Dena and Ladia's confusion, he started speaking in a alien like language.

"Um, I have no idea what he is speaking." Ladia answers.

"He's speaking a mixture of different languages from the Covenant. I think I can translate." Dena comments.

""Alright, what is he saying?"

"Write everything down." Dena requests.

Ladia starts writing everything Heckins says. When she finishes, Dena starts reading it through and translating it into english language. When she finished she read.

"You believe your greatest warrior is your only hope in stopping what you cannot begin to fathom. You see only him as the most legendary but you do not know of others that carry his potential. Heed our warnings, the select few that follow in his footsteps shall join us and become my warriors to bring forth the inevitable. And will be then that you see that not even your champion will stand against my army of champions that have written their names in legends like he has." It read.

"What does it mean?" Dr. Ladia asks.

"Um...I have no idea. This is...this is very strange to me. I've never heard of such a message even in something mixed with different languages." she answered.

Heckins systems turn back to normal green and he shakes his head. "Um...may I ask what just happened Doctor?" Heckins asks.

"You just encrypted the message but we're not entirely sure what it is." Ladia answers.

"Oh, wow that was fast. Ms. Dena must be good luck. Because we've been trying to encrypt that information for two weeks."

"I'm going to see if I can trace the source of the message back to where ever. If you like you can return to your room and get some more rest Ms. Dena." Ladia offers.

"Of course doctor but where is the Spartan?" She asks.

"You mean Lex. He should be close by, Heckins can you get Lex back in here please."

"Of course doctor. Come along Ms. Dena."

"Um sir…" Dena uses her good arm to try and push her wheelchair forward."

"Let me help you with that." Ladia gets up and pushes Dena's wheelchair close to the elevator. "Heckins did you alert Lex?"

"No not yet."

"Give him sometime, he'll be back up to take you to your room."

Lex comms Heckins. "Hey guy's a mission just came up. I might not be able to come up."

Ladia sighs. "Fine, I'll take her back myself. Just get back safely." Ladia pushes Dena in the elevator and takes it back down to the medical section of the base.

"Thank you doctor."

"Thank you for the help. I'll be sure to have Commander Alex look it over and brief it to command. After that we'll see what they'll want us to do next." Ladia pushes Dena back into her room and tries to help her change.

"Please. I think I'm more comfortable in my suit."

"You sure?"

"I'm sure. Thank you."

"Alright. Please alert heckins if you need anything from anyone. I'll be in the lab seeing if I can fix your busted up armor." Ladia exits the room and heads back to the elevator.

"I will. Thank you."

Dena gets back in the bed and lays down. She looked at her broken left arm, broken ribs, and severely broken right leg. She sighed and closed her eyes to see if she could get more rest.


	6. The Huntress

**Sedra Outer Defense Station...**

Lex, White, Jared, and Hogan arrived on a Pelican dropship in the space station with Joseph. Lex felt awkward how his entire team was giving him the silent treatment the entire trip on the station. As they marched down from the docking bay, Lex felt a little worried for Dena back down on the planet with so many soldiers who have grudges down there with her.

"So where's our newest member at oh great fearless leader?" Hogan asked annoyingly.

"She's resting. Where else would she be?" Lex answers irritated.

"I had broken ribs back on the battle of earth and that didn't stop me from helping my team." Jared comments.

"She nearly died in a crash. Trying surviving that." Lex asks.

"I've survived worse on Reach." White answered.

"I fought the flood on a flood infested planet. That beats surviving a ship crash any day." Jared contributed to White.

"I used to drop into hell feet first back in my days as an ODST. Crashing in a ship is a breeze compared to that." Hogan answered.

"Enough! All of you. If we are family then we are to accept Dena into the family and not judge her down."

"If we are family then you should've talked with us first about her before making her a member of the team behind our backs." White comments.

"Whites right sir." Jared answers.

"Yeah. Besides you shouldn't be getting all those close. Command says she can be a member but on close eye inspection. For all we know she maybe playing you like a violin with plans to cut your strings." Hogan answers.

Jared laughs and knuckle bumps Hogan. Joseph does not respond.

"Maybe if you actually sat down with her and had a conversation with her. Then maybe you would know how she felt about the Covenant."

"Sir I do believe there's an old ancient art known as acting that I think everyone knows how to do. May want to look into that." White comments.

"We have information that Dena wasn't lying about the crucial information she provided."

"When people do lie their hearts beat faster then normal. That's what that monitor detects. Someone with enough training can train themselves to lie while have complete control of their heart or hearts and lie like if they were speaking the truth. Want proof I can lie my ass off and have my heart act normal, little trick they taught me back in boot camp for the ODST in case were we ever caught by enemy forces." Hogan corrects.

"Yeah it's starting to turn standard issue in all the militaries. For all we know she completely lied to you and was able to pull it off like if she was telling the truth." Jared answered next.

Lex rubs his eyes to his forehead thinking they could be right about Dena and let's out a sigh. He then rubs his face down to his chin.

"But enough about her, why are we are up here now?" White asks.

"The docs up here found some new Promethean tech and they want us to play bodyguard while they get it ready to ship out due to a possible Covenant attack." Lex answers.

"Wow, they must really like us don't they?" Hogan sighs annoyingly.

"I guess they do. Let's get this over with." White comments.

"And why is Mr. Stalker following us. I thought he was just here to observe us and report. Why's he coming along?" Jared asked.

"He's not. Like they said he's observing everyone. So get use to it." Lex answers.

"So does that mean he's going to be watching us even when we take a shit sir?" Jared asked.

"I don't know if he'll go that far… but maybe." He chuckles a bit.

"Hope not. If there a man under that suit and he's spying on me in the bathroom I can't be held responsible for what I'll do to him." White answers.

"I don't know White. Maybe you can find out for us when Joseph take's off his or her suit off." Jared comments jokingly

Joseph looks at Jared.

"Uh oh, you got Mr. Roboto's attention." Hogan jokes.

Lex and White chuckle under their breaths. Joseph slaps Jared on the back of the head.

"Now I definitely know it's a girl under that suit." Hogan jokes.

Joseph does not respond.

"Alright team. Enough jokes. Let's just find out about what they have."

The group continues down the docking bay as everyone put their helmets on except Joseph who already had his helmet on. As they approached the science lab of the space station, they entered an observation room. Where outside of it was standard Promethean weapons but then they see swords, sniper rifles and new things. The new things they see are crossbow rifles, blades, a very unusual saw blade.

"Alright sir. What now?" Hogan asks.

"I guess we sit here for one egg head to tell us what they want us to do at where they need us." he answers.

Lex heard someone calling him on his mic and her answers. "Yes?"

(through mic) "Lex this is Ladia, we got the message decoded." she tells him.

"You do? What do you have?" He asks.

(through mic) "It's some kind of warning or something. Something about champions who have written their legends just like our greatest warrior. Whatever the hell that means." she answered.

"So is it looking for someone?" Hogan asks.

(through mic) "No it's looking for a select few of people. I don't know it's beyond my expertise."

(through mic) "Lex, this is Alex, scans are telling us that big ass covenant fleet is heading your way. I need you and your team to keep that station functional we can't loose the forerunner artifacts we've found up there."

"Yes sir. Oracle, mount up! We've got a party of Covenant coming our way." Lex alerts.

"Yes sir." everyone except Joseph responded.

"I swear he's really creepy." Hogan comments

"No time for comments. Let's deal with what's coming at us." Jared contributes.

The team made their way to the docking bay just as they saw the Covenant fleet arrive from slip space as the alarms began blaring.

"Holy damn, that is one big as fleet." Jared said.

(Loudspeaker) "We have Covenant dropships in Docks 5 and 6. All units report to your stations. All hands on deck."

"Alright, Hogan, you're with me on Deck 5. White, I need you and Jared to take Deck 6. Joseph if you can get up high grounds and try and…"

Before Lex could finish, Joseph was already gone.

(Sighs and rubs in head) "Why do i even try with Joseph anymore. Hogan you'll hang out with me."

"You already gave me that order sir." Hogan reminds him.

"Change of plans. Joesph just ran off. You're with me now."

"No as in you already told me I'm with you now." Hogan comments just as the Covenant ships land and start trying to melt the doors down to breech.

"Alright move it Oracle!" Lex ordered as Jared and White rushed off to Deck 6 while Lex and Hogan took covering fire positions. The door hatches open as Grunts, Jackals and few Brutes begin coming out and opened fired on the soldiers as Lex and Hogan do the same.

The grunts were easily shot down as the few remaining tried fleeing. Irritated, one of the brutes slaps one of the feeling grunts away to hit the wall hard to kill him. He growled and pointed to the spartans as he and the Jackals, Brutes and other Grunts continued open firing.

"Oh great. Brutes." Hogan complains.

"Quit your whining, rookie."

"Not whining sir just annoyed that's all." Hogan head shot the brute that killed the grunt earlier with his sniper. Lex jumps out of cover and began running towards the brutes. He jumps onto his chest, grips his neck and with all his might he snaps the Brute's neck. As it drops dead onto the ground. Another Brute tries to pull one on Lex but only to be head shotted by Hogan who stayed in his sniping position.

"Nice shot Hogan." Lex compliments.

Hogan headshot a Jackal sniper aiming at Lex just as Lex was commenting on him.

"Sir, we need to do something. There are more waves coming and were just fighting a losing battle." A soldier says as he continued opening firing.

Suddenly Joseph returns to the docking area, dual wielding two rocket launchers. Everyone stops the battle to look at him.

"Is he dual wielding two mother fucking RPGs?" Hogan asks in surprise.

"Everyone run for your lives!" one of the grunts yells as most of the grunts and Jackals started running as the Brutes stood in shock.

Joseph soon started opening firing on the large crowds of Covenant. Blowing them up and sending them flying all across the room. When the tried opening firing on him he simply ran sideways while reloading and still firing rockets back at them. Around the time she ran out of rickets she threw three grenades and used his pistol to accurately shoot each of them just as they got close to the entrances that the Covenant were pouring from.

"I believe so Hogan."

"Is this guy even human because I have never seen any Spartan do this shit before." Hogan asks.

After defeating the Covenant in Deck 5, Joseph took off running to Deck 6.

"Ah sir, do we follow him or just let him help Jared and White." Hogan asks.

"We can try but it won't hold them back. There are still ships coming out. We need to take out the main ship." Lex points at the larger ship still deploying smaller fleets.

"What do we do?" Hogan asks.

"We need to take out the main ship from the inside."

Meanwhile at Deck 6, Jared and White continued to return fire at the Covenant. However they were badly pinned down thanks to the plasma turret one of the brutes was mounting.

"Damn, we're pin down here, requesting backup." White requests over the radio.

Suddenly Joseph comes rushing inside the room. Rushing right towards where the Covenant enemies where at. They turn towards him and open fire. However, Joseph runs a circle around them, making them miss every shot they had until they needed to reload.

As they reloaded, he does a roundhouse kick at a cargo of ammunition to knock down a board for him to jump in the air. He suddenly draws two combat knives from his hidden wrist compartment, and cuts a cable on the room while holding on.

Using the cable to swing to the Brute with the Plasma turret, he leaps on the brute and slashes his throat three different times before he could even have a chance to react. Another brute close by tries to help, but Joseph does a jump scissors kick to tackle him to the ground. From there, Joseph uses both his combat knives to slash the Brute in the chest at least fifteen different times with lightning fast speed before stabbing them both through his skull to finish him.

Two more Brutes charge towards him. Joseph rolls out of the way of one brute trying to slash him with the blade of his brute shot. Joseph counters by stabbing his knee cap before stabbing his neck. The next brute tries to shoot him with his spiker but only to have Joseph disarm of of the spiker while stabbing him three different times at the ribs, side, and knee. After that he continued slashing the brute in the chest before stabbing his blades through his kidneys. From there, he started unleashing a series of powerful punches to his skull and chest before doing a powerful elbow to the brute's temple.

A brute Chieftain appears and was about to slam his gravity hammer at Joseph. However Joseph used a series of confusing hand movements to knock and disarm of him of his gravity hammer while punching at unguarded spots the chieftain's armor could not protect. Once disarmed, Joseph does some more powerful punches before doing a jump knee strike to shatter the lower part of the chieftain's skull followed by a spinning side kick in the air to the chieftain's throat. Just as Joseph lands back on his feet he grabs the brute and does a Jujitsu like throw to throw him on the blade of his own gravity hammer. Killing the chieftain effectively.

White and Jared stared at the entire scene before them in absolute shock before looking at each other. "Da Fuck?" they both asked.

Joseph just stood there covered in Brute blood from the vicious brutality he unleashed. From the looks of it, he appeared to be breathing hard from exhaustion.

"Joseph, did you just do all of that?" Jared asks.

Joseph did not respond. Instead he walked over to where his combat knives laid at. He picked them up, wiped the blood from them and sheathed them back in his hidden wrist compartments.

"You need to show me some of those moves." White compliments.

Joseph again said nothing except sit down on a chair closeby.

(through mic) "White this is Lex, how's the defense for Deck 6 coming along?"

"Well, Joseph just handled everything. Nothing but dead Covenant."

(through mic) "I swear that guy is not human I mean, does anyone know any other Spartan other than Master Chief that can pull off that holy shit kind of stuff?" Hogan asked.

"Well who knows. Okay we need to take out the main ship before more deploy." Jared mentions.

(through mic) "Agreed, White I need you to meet me in Deck 4, you and I are going to go pay a visit to the main ship. Jared, I want you and Joseph to stay in deck 6 and wait for Hogan to get there. Alert any personal of the situation to try and keep the rest of the decks guarded." Lex ordered.

"Yes sir." Everyone except Joseph answered.

The team split up again as White rushed down to Dock 4. Lex was waiting by the door to the airlock.

"Alright don't tell me. We're going to step outside and float our way to the ship. Sneak around i the reactor core and blow it to kingdom come to hell?" White asked.

"Well, I was going to say we shut down their weapon systems but I like that idea better." Lex comments.

"I was afraid of that. Remind me after this mission and we head back home to pay a visit to Ladia and have her fix my armor up." White asks as they entered the airlock room.

"Will do." Lex answers as they opened the airlock and shot out into space, slowly floating to the CCS-class Covenant battlecruiser. "Okay White. We know the core is going to be heavily guarded so I suggest that we hit the engines first to slow it down."

"Lead the way and I'll cover your back."

Lex and White boost over to the back of the ship, activating their magnetic boots and begins run towards the engines. Until two Brute Rangers boost across and landed in front of them and began firing spikers at them. They both boosted out of the way dodging their fire as White boost dashes into one Ranger. Nearly pushing him off but bringing down his shield until shotgunned it, killed it dead as it floats in space.

Lex in return threw a grenade that floated towards the Brute Ranger. The brute ranger was about to grab it and throw it back but Lex accurately shoots the grenade to blow the brute up just as the Brute grabbed it.

With the two Brute rangers dead, Lex and White made their way to an energy field docking area. Thinking quickly, just as another phantom leave to try and dock the UNSC station, White and Lex leapt inside just as the field went down for a small moment.

(Whispers) "Okay, we're close to engine room. It should be down there." Lex motions White pointing at the doors.

(whispers) "Let's hope they haven't detected our presence yet." White follows Lex while keeping watch from behind. They hid at each corner every time the guards pass by and continued moving forward.

As they sneaked their way down the hallway, White stopped to notice one room they just passed by, she quickly grabbed Lex by the shoulder to show them. In the room contained a bomb the Covenant usually keep in their Battlecruisers in case they want to blow up something very large.

"Well, looks like we just found our bomb." Lex comments.

"Help me pick it up." White walks over to one end of the bomb and grabs one side. Lex walks over to the other side and does the same thing. They begin carrying it over quietly hopefully not making too much noise to bring attention to other guards. Considering it was extremely heavy even Spartans, is was beginning to become more of a task then they thought it would be.

"Dang this bomb, and to think we still got to drag it to the engine room and light it up." White groans from the intense heaviness from it.

"Yeah I see what you mean. Almost to the engine room." They reached to the engine door as Lex opens the door but without knowing there were a ton of Grunts relaxing until they saw them.

"Holy crap." White says shocked.

"That's one way to put it." Lex answers.

The Grunts notice as they all pull out their Plasma pistols and begin opening fire on them. Lex and White jumped out of the firing range and fired back.

"I should've known they would be in here." White comments.

"Hell White they're Grunts, they're unpredictable at times." Lex comments.

"Got any plans sir?" White asks.

Lex looks at the bomb and activates it to blow up in ten minutes while jaming the device so it won't turn off.

"Getting the hell out of here in ten minutes." Lex grabs White by the wrist as they take off running.

White sighed and yanked her wrist away as they started running as fast as they could. They drew their guns and opened fired at all he approaching Covenant forces entering to try and stop them.

As the two continued to rapidly shoot down any Covenant in their way. They heard the ship give out the alarm to alert the ship's inhabitants of what is going on. White and Lex's hub let's them know of how much time they have left before the bomb blows up. Currently at the moment they have a total of five minutes left.

"Pick up the pace, we got five minutes left." Lex orders White as they continued to shoot through the Covenant while still running non stop.

Eventually the two Spartans arrived back in the docking bay of the ship. Seeing a huge amount of Covenant forces waiting for them. White thinks quick and just as the Covenant in the docking bay began opening fire on them, White accurately shoots the power switch to open the airlock. Within moments, most of the Covenant were dragged out and shot out into space while Lex and White jumped out. They pushed themselves hard and fast to propel themselves back to Sedra station. The bomb within the Covenant battlecruiser reaches its final countdown and blows the entire flagship to pieces.

Lex and White look back to see the ship blow up, pieces of it flying towards them. Lex and White use their thrusters to fly forward fast and to dodge the pieces of ship derbie flying towards them. All the while the station's main cannons started shooting down the pieces that got close.

Lex and White make it back to one of the air locks of the station and entered. Once inside, the two sighed in relief.

"We really need to come up with better ideas other than blowing stuff up." White mentions.

"Really? I thought this was a good idea." Lex jokes.

"I know but always seems to be our idea every time we are sent to one of those battlecruisers or some base." White answers as they entered back in the station.

"I guess that's true."

(through mic) "Lex, Jared here, I just got word from one of the egg heads that a squad of Covenant and...something else just got to the area with all the promethean weapons."

"Where are they now?" He asks.

(through mic) "They're close to lab 3, where we just left earlier. The brutes have taken the scientists hostage. We're trying to get to them but there's this hulk of a brute chieftain is kicking our asses."

"On our way. Check your ammo, White. Our day isn't over yet."

"Yes sir." White acknowledges.

The two rushed back over to the lab. When they got their they found Jared, Hogan, and Joseph waiting on them.

"What took you so long guys?" Hogan asked.

"Had to blow up a ship rookie what do you think?" White answers annoyingly.

"What do we got?" Lex asks.

"Well." Hogan hands Lex his sniper so he could use the scope to see the situation.

Down in the main lab, they saw all the scientists tied up and on their knees. A brute chieftain with a white beard, cybernetic eye and blue armor was interrogating them as he had the area heavily guarded.

"Our intel says that's the new Covenant Supreme Leader. Chieftain Havuus of the Brutes. Also known as the Butcher of Reach. This guy is on the UNSC's top most wanted list." Hogan answers.

"Hm, I've never seen this Brute. Why now does he come out of his hiding hole?" Lex asks himself.

"Don't know sir, but this guy has personally killed more civilians than any Brute before him. He was the one who personally pushed the button to glass Reach." Hogan continued.

"You mean…" White asks in shock.

"Yep, this is one of the guys responsible for the Fall of Reach. Thus the nickname, the Butcher of Reach. And he's infamous for his brutality in torture." Hogan answers.

Meanwhile down below, Havuus continues to interrogate the scientists.

"I'm not a very patient Brute and I've got allot of time on my hands. Now, where did you put my master's weapons?" he asked.

The scientists were unable to answer either being too scared or didn't want to answer.

"I didn't think humans with such great intelligence such as yours would be harden like this. So perhaps another method is in order."

Havuus motions for one of his Brutes to drag one of the scientists to him. The brute holds the scientist down as Havuus smirks, draws a gravity hammer, and uses the blade end to cut the scientists head clean right off. The Brutes all roared in satisfaction while Havuus picks the head up.

Backup with Oracle, the team were horrified to see what just happened.

"Sir, we need to do something now." Jared worries.

"I know but we can't run up there. He'll kill the rest of the hostages."

Backing down, Havuus tosses the head aside and wipes the blood from the blade end of his gravity hammer.

"All I want is to know where the weapons of my master are being held." he requested again. "It's a simple request."

"Okay. I'll bring it to you." Said the female scientist as her head falls giving in.

Havuus smirked wickedly as he motioned his brutes to finish up. Without hesitation, the brutes took the blade ends of their weapons to kill all but the female scientist.

"My lord, we have someone who will bring you to your weapons. Feel free to come in as you wish my master." Havuus speaks to a radio. When he finishes, he soon takes a Brute combat knife and cuts the female scientists left arm off. "And that's just a heads up warning not to fuck with us. Especially my master who you will soon find she is not as forgiving and merciful as I am. Take the bitch away to our lord." Havuss order the brutes as they grab her by the hair and drag her off.

"Lex, now would be a good time." Jared comments.

"Wait for it." Lex orders quietly.

A few Brutes walk up to Havuus as he puts the gravity hammer up. "Sir the Fort of Regret has been destroyed sir by two Spartans."

"And why is this worthy of my attention?" Havuus requested.

"We have reason to believe they're still on the station."

"Then hunt them down and bring their heads on a set of plates for me. I'll be heading to my ship." Havuus orders as he walks off.

"Well now what? We just saw them killing off the scientists except that certain. So now what?" White asks.

"Hogan, I want you and White to clear the room out. Joseph, get to the command center and alert Commander Alex of the situation. Jared, you and I are going to have a look at this so called Master and save that scientist." Lex orders.

"Yes sir." Jared confirms.

The team splits up to their respective objectives. Jared and Lex quietly follow the female scientist who was being dragged by the two Brutes. They eventually arrive in one room where a figured covered in a hooded cloak stood by. They throw her to the figure and bow before the figure like it was some kind of God.

"Your lordship, we have brought the filthy human to show you the location of your holy weapons." one of the brutes says.

"Ah, you have served me well." The figured said in a Goddess like voice. The figure threw its cloak aside, revealing a diamond shaped being transforming to showing off a slim, smooth and a bit of curve figure. Her chest and the outlining of her body were glowing purple. Small blade like pieces began floating around her back, the bottom opened up as her slim legs come out with heels with spike toes to it like bear feet just like her claw like hands. Her helmet shaped like a football with a small purple visor. Her faceplate transforms revealing her face with her light galaxy green skin color, her eyes with no pupils only greyish color, with large lips and finally patches of fine purple-pink fur on the top of her head. She softly turns around and looks down upon the Brutes kneeling before her.

"Bring me my weapons." She demands.

"As you wish your ladyship." The brutes answered as they dragged the female scientist and forced her to show them the location of the promethean weapons. The female scientist uses the hand print and eye scanner as the door opens and shows three Promethean containers.

The Forerunner figure walked in and scanned the containers before using telekinesis like powers to open them and start retrieving the weapons. She first opens the left and reveals a large Promethean sniper rifle, retracts it back to her and consumes it fusing with her right arm. She next opens the right one and reveals a throwing saw blade and retracts to her back floating. She opens the final one in the middle as it reveals a old fashion but Promethean like bow and retracts it to her left arm.

Meanwhile, Jared and Lex stayed behind cover and kept watch from the distance.

(whispering) "Um sir, am I the only one completely confused or are you just as confused as I am?" Jared asked.

Lex was staring off into space ignoring what Jared thinking about the same voice he heard in his dream.

"Uh Lex?" Jared asked as he shoved Lex a little to try and get his attention.

Lex snaps out of it as Jared got his attention. "Huh?"

"You okay Lex?" Jared asked.

"I'm fine. I'm fine." Lex answers.

"Alright so, what's the plan?" Jared asked.

"I'll distract those two Brutes and the this Promethean while you grab the scientist and get her to safety. She might know more about the this tech than we do. Got it?" Lex ordered.

"Alright I'll see if I can get her to the medic, by the looks of things she's loosing allot of blood from that brute cutting her arm off."

"Alright, I'm going in." Lex jumps out of cover, jumping down to the lower floor standing right behind them.

The Forerunner uses her hunter senses and sensed his presence as they both turned around. Before Lex could take aim she dashed right in front of him and held him effortlessly by the throat with one hand.

"Such arrogance. To think you possess the skills powerful enough to stop me. I spare you now only for you to heed my warning. You and those who follow in the footsteps of your greatest warrior will join my ranks. And no one, not even your Master Chief will stop me." she soon throws Lex hard across the room and began walking off.

"Finish up here and report to your posts. I have what I want." the forerunner lady said before vanishing.

He recovers but struggles as he groans from the throw and sees Jared from behind the Brute. Before the two brutes could open fire on Lex, Jared snaps one's neck in two and stabs the blade end of a spiker through the other. He gives a thumbs up to Lex after killing the Brutes and take the scientist away.

"Nice work Jared." Lex got up and started shaking himself back straight.

(through mic) "Sir this is White, the Covenant are all of a sudden retreating."

"Yeah because the Forerunner got what she wanted." He replied.

(through mic) "Forerunner?" Hogan asked.

"I'll explain later. We need to head back to Alamo base and report to Commander Alex of the situation ASAP." Lex orders as he started walking off.

Sometime later back at Alamo base. Oracle team along with Joseph sat in a debriefing room with Commander Alex. Everyone except Alex and Joseph had their helmets off.

"So you mean to tell me that there's another living Forerunner like the one Chief fought?" Alex asked.

"If I'm not mistaken sir. She had three weapons as seen in the footage." Lex disconnects a chip from the back of his helmet and connects his to the computer.

"The weapons can wait, I wanna know about this Forerunner. It's a woman, and you tell me that Havuus the Butcher of Reach was kissing up to this thing?" Alex asked.

"Yes sir but I have no reason why." Lex answers.

Alex remained silent for a small moment. "People, I am officially stumped. I havent a clue what to tell command about this. They're not going to believe the footage. However I do know they want Havuus' head for what he did on Reach. But Gentlemen if this person has even Havuus kissing up to her then she's got to be a very, very, very serious problem." Alex states.

"I understand sir. Here is the footage of her. Heckins."

"On it." Heckins shows the images of the female Promethean and the weapons along with it.

"I see, I'm going to keep this and show this to command. In the meantime you're all dismissed until I get word back on what the hell they want us to do. But before I do any of that, I am going to go get a drink of the strongest whiskey I can find for my head at this moment." Alex groaned as he rubbed his head.

"Thank you sir."

"Alright Oracle. Get some rest for now until we're called again. You've earned a good rest." Alex says as he got up and left.

"Well, now that we know we got the Butcher of Reach and some Forerunner out there to deal with. Is there a point in listening to that thing that elite found now. Because I think we just found out what it was about." Hogan asked.

"Well she probably knows those two better than we do and what information we have so far."

"Alright. Go ahead and speak to your pet Lex. When you get done Ladia wants to see us on our armors." White comments as she lays back on her seat.

"Watch your tongue sister. She gave us intel on that Forerunner that is after her and looking for ones to join her rank. For all I know it could be you she's looking for."

"That's what she said." Jared joked as he and Hogan started laughing.

Lex walks up to both of them and smacks them upside of the head at the same time. "And you two better keep those jokes to yourself before I have to act like father to you numbnuts."

"Whose says we were joking sir?" Hogan comments.

"She's only been with us for a month and already you're starting to trust her more than you trust us?" Jared asked.

"I second on that." White contributes.

"Maybe it's because the way you all act around her before you even get the chance to know her."

"We apologise sir but we can't help but be suspicious considering how this all feels like some Covenant scheme to infiltrate our ranks and turn you against us. Like Jared said, she's only been with us for a month and you already trust her more then us. And how long have you know us. How long have you known White." Hogan asked seriously.

"I wonder if it's because he wants to tap that alien ass of hers." Jared mentions.

"Jared that's fucking sick and gross." White comments.

"She nearly died to get us this information and this is how you thank her? I am deeply disappointed in all of you. I really expected better from all of you. I don't know about Joseph but the rest of you really and deeply disappointed."

"Mutual feelings sir because we expected more from our commanding officer." White says as they all got out and left the room. Leaving Lex alone in the room with Joseph who just stared at Lex.

"You can stare me down all you want Joseph and I could care less what you think of me and Dena."

Joseph did not respond, just kept staring at him.

"Yeah, just keep staring. It's better if you don't say a word. It's been that way anyways."

Joseph still did not answer or respond. Just kept staring at Lex.

"You can leave you know."

Joseph got up and started walking off. Just as Lex was about to leave Alex stops him.

"Mind if I have a word with you Lex." Alex requests.

"Yes sir. What is it?" He asks.

"Sit." Alex tells him as they take a seat.

"Now Lex. I understand you've had plenty of time to talk with our general guest. But I am a little worried about you being so close to her." Alex comments.

"You wanna know why I'm getting close to her because of the things she did and she knows that she never meant for those things."

"Now don't jump the loop Lex. Take in mind she's insint the only Elite that we're allied with. I don't mind her being alley. Hell I think it would do your squad some good with her on Oracle. I'm just concerned about something else. Something along the lines of being too close to her." Alex mentions.

"You don't even know the things she's done that made her regret."

"Lex I said don't jump the loop. I'm just concerned about you and her being...relationship close. As in more than just friends and partners close" Alex tells him seriously.

"If you don't mind sir. I'm going to get a drink." Lex walks out.

"No your not now get back in here and answer my question." Alex orders Lex.

Lex sighed and walked back in.

"Now for the last time. I have nothing against her and I'm not trying to disrespect her in any way. I think she's been a tremendous help. And I wouldn't have made her part of Oracle if I didn't believe that. What I'm trying to get at is something completely different. What I'm concerned about is if you have feelings for her as in romantic ones or not." Alex asked seriously.

"I don't have feelings for her. I'm just protecting her as you ordered."

Alex remains silent for a moment. "Have I ever told you the story about Spectre?"

"Who?"

"Spectre, or Shadow. Hell the kid has many nicknames. Before he was a Spartan he was this ODST soldier. One hell of a good one I mean God damn was he good. In 2552 on the mission involving New Mombasa. Him and his squad were forced to ally themselves with two Elites, one male, one female. Somewhere during that mission. Let's just say him and the elite woman got...well close if you catch my meaning." Alex starts.

"Yeah but nobody trusts me because of it."

"That's not it. You see, now at first it was looked down upon but command thought it would help improve relations with the Elites. Then...it happened."

"What happened?"

"He knocked her up that's what happened."

"Say what?"

"Yeah those were my words. Spectre and her had a half human half Sangheili little girl together somehow. Even though the kid looks more like her mother. And that's when ONI came in the picture. You remember them right Lex?" Alex asks.

"Yeah I remember that. I don't know even know what happen to it."

"Well, ONI being the sadistic soulless fuckers they were. Wanted to find out how the hell it was possible. So they wanted to...dissect the kid or something, or dissect either Specter or his female elite lover. When Specter refused to let that happen, ONI dishonorably discharged him and branded him and his family as criminals. And now Specter is constantly on the run from them and we haven't seen him since. As for his family, they're back on Sangheili and Oni cannot touch them because of the Elites."

Alex takes his helmet off and sets it down. Revealing the face of a middled aged veteran of Caucasian descendant. However he had three claw marks on his left cheek, a dark tan, white hair cut military style and blue eyes. He leans over and looks dead serious in the eyes of Lex.

"The point in all in this is don't give ONI ideas to want to do something to you or Dena. For your sake and hers. They are over me and command and they have the they can do whatever the hell they want and get away with it no questions asked and if you do you will be shot authority. With just a snap of their fingers they can do to you exactly like what they did to Spectre and brand you a criminal. Worst they may want to experiment or do something I don't know what goes through their sick fucked up minds. So for your safety, and Dena's safety, try avoiding developing a relationship with her because they can and will destroy you and her. Am I clear Lex?" Alex asked him seriously.

"Yeah very fucking clear." Lex answers with his head down.

"I'm just trying to look after you two. I don't want to have to try and hunt you down like we all have to with Spectre." Alex says as he pats Lex on the shoulder.

"I understand sir. May I go get my drink now, sir?" Lex asks.

"Go have the whole damn bottle if you want. Don't forget to report to Ladia within three hours for usual armor check up."Alex says.

"Yes sir." Lex gets up and walks out and took the elevator to the bases' bar.

"Welcome back Lex. The usual?" the Bartender asked.

"Yeah the usual."

The bartender grabbed a bottle of whisky and poured him a shot glass for him.

"Thanks." He drinks it and thinks about what Alex and his team said about Dena. The consequences with ONI and the trust of his team.


	7. Order of Freedom

**A week later...**

Lex was still deep in thought about his team and what commander Alex told him. He was beginning to feel nervous and worried. Not only was he slowly losing his team's trust but now the possibility of ONI sticking their noses into this has got him very scared. Those bastards are infamous for the sick shit they get away with. He tried not think about it or them as he stood on the machine that was giving his armor a tune up.

He watched Ladia rapidly tap on the computer as she did a check up on his armor. Having it polished and refixed from any possible damages or etc he may have received lately at whatever. At least she and Dena were getting along and it always brought a smile to him knowing how much Ladia cared about the well being and condition of his team and their equipment.

"Okay Lex I need you lift your arms for me I need to replace your forearm armor with something different." Ladia requested while still keeping her eyes on the computer.

"Um okay." Lex did as requested as the machine took his forearm armor pieces off.

After a few moments and making some quick adjustments. Ladia had the machine give Lex a pair of forearm armor from the Shinobi Spartan armor. Once done Lex looked at his new armor and looked back at Ladia.

Ladia spun around in her chair towards him and took a quick sip of coffee.

"Originally as you guessed when you first got the Hayabusa armor there was no forearm armor for you. So I had to give you a prototype forearm armor Hayabusa armor. However after some miscalculations and screw ups from the armor department. I just learned they never did make the forearm armor for the Hayabusa armor and what they had me give you was just something temporary until they can tell me what to do. After well all this time they strongly recommend forearm armor from the latest Shinobi armor. Reasons why is not only is the Shinobi armor considered a spiritual successor to the Hayabusa armor but also allows to make your hand movements more silent. Allowing you to make assassinations much more quieter. I apologize for the inconvenience Lex." Ladia stated.

"I like this very much Ladia. Thank you and don't worry about the inconvenience."

Ladia sighed in relief and laid back in her chair as if relieved to have a heavy burden off her.

"Have you seen my team lately. I haven't seen them this morning."

"Oh they're in the practicing area seeing if their newest sets of armor fits well for them and all like I had you do. Feel free to go check on them when you can. Also I need you to check on Dena for me. I finished fixing her armor yesterday and I'm having her try it out. However I'm not sure if it's perfect or anything because I've never had the chance to play around with Covenant technology. Also when I watched her leave she seemed to be still hurting from her injuries. She's down at the shooting range if you want to visit her first before checking on your squad." Ladia answers.

"Okay. Thank you for letting me know."

"It's what I'm suppose to do." she smiled and went back to working on her computer regarding what ever involving Oracle Team's armors.

Lex walks over to the elevator and takes it down to the practicing area. He arrives and spots his team in new and updated armor. He first sees White in her new purple colored GEN 2 Jumpmaster Spartan armor with pink markings and accents. Her visor was a red color. White was easily going through the parkour movement area to test out her flexibility and speed. From the looks from what Lex could see, she appeared to be much more faster and flexible than ever.

He next sees Jared in his new dark green camouflage GEN 2 GUNGNIR Spartan armor. It was was bulky and more armored than the regular GUNGNIR armor. He still retained the orange color to the plating video camera "eye". Jared was in the hand to hand combat arena tearing down the combat drones. His thick bulky armor and size made trying to grapple him almost impossible for the Combat drones. That and his massive strength was helping him easily tear the drones apart.

Hogan was now wearing a black and dark grey GEN 2 Nightfall Spartan armor with a light blue visor. To better help with his sniper role, he now wore a rough cloth ghillie suit hood held on with a few straps. He was in the spartan shooting range headshooting the hologram targets almost without effort. Lex thought that if Hogan got any better, he would need to blindfold himself just to give himself a challenge.

Lex stood in the observation room and watched them continued their practice until he figured they were doing fine. So he decided to go check on Dena. Taking the elevator, he went down to the lower levels to make his way to the shooting range for the Marines.

When he arrived he saw the only people in there were Dena and Joseph. From what he can see, Joseph changed the color of his visor from silver to a Neon Blue color. Other then that his armor stayed the same. He was just simply in the room laying back on the far wall just watching Dena.

Dena was dressed back in her armor that looked fully repared. She was holding a DMR trying her best to make accurate shots at long range. However she was shaking allot and breathing hard. Lex figured it maybe because she wasn't fully recovered yet. Dena continued to try and shoot the target. Missing most of her shots because of her struggling to deal with the pain if her injuries while trying to focus. In an attempt to readjust her aim she suddenly fell to the ground in pain.

Lex was ready to rush over to her but to his surprise, Joseph was already to her and gently helping her back on her feet.

"Dena, what are you doing out of bed?" Lex asks while walking up to them.

Joseph helped Dena to sit down on a chair as she tried took some breaths. Lex was curious of why he would help her but doesn't want to say anything to be rude.

"It's been a while and I am well enough to return honing my skills as a warrior. The doctors said I could." she answered as she was taking deep breaths.

Joseph looked at Lex for a moment, padded Dena on the shoulder a little and walked off back to the elevator to take it who knew where. Lex sits down next to her with his hand on her back.

"So how are you feeling now?" He asks.

"Still hurt all over but well enough to at least function as best as I could." she answered.

"But you can barely move. I mean for God's sakes you fell and you can barely breathe."

"Maybe, but I can still function and train to keep my skills sharp and honed." she answered as she tried getting back up but had some trouble. It also looked like her armor was hurting her as if she was having trouble moving around.

"I understand that. Let's take you back okay."

"But I need to keep practicing, If I don't I won't be able to function as properly when I recover to full health." she mentions trying to aim with the DMR again. She was barely even able to properly aim it because of all the shaking from the pain.

"Dena, don't argue with me on this. You and I and the doctors know that you need the rest to give a good recovery. Now come on."

She looked back at him slightly before putting the DMR back down. "But don't you keep your skills honed even when half of your body is broken?" she asked him.

"Well I only do that through simulations until I make a full recovery." He answers.

"But aren't you afraid of losing your skills from the lack of practice caused by your injuries?" she asked him while trying to make her way back to him.

"A little only if I don't exercise too much. Look instead coming down here do some exercising for when you want to get up out of bed. Physical therapy."

Dena thought for a moment and sighed. "I guess."

"Oh and is the armor back in shape. Ladia wanted to know."

"It is, but I guess I'm just not well enough to put it back on since it's currently making my injuries hurt more." Dena answered as Lex gently grabbed her and had her lean on him as they made their way to the elevator.

"Well at least it's to your liking."

"Yes, your human scientist Ladia has done very well in its repair. I am surprised in her talent as she has stated in one of our many conversations that she has never dealt with Covenant technology before." Dena answered as they took the elevator to her room.

"Well she works in mysterious ways I'll tell you this much."

"She also seems to think of the highest amount of you Lex."

"What do you mean?" He asks.

"Oh um...nothing she just thinks very highly of you on how well you take care of the armors she makes and tunes up for you and your team." Dena answered with a slight blush.

"Oh." He slightly blushes underneath his helmet as well. Thankfully his helmet was able to help hide his blush very, very well.

(through mic) "Sir, this is Heckins, commander Alex requests that Oracle Team report to the de briefing room. I do believe something very big is coming up."

"On my way." Lex brings her back to her room and places her down onto bed gently. "I gotta go, okay. I'll be back soon."

"Alright. I think in the meantime I'll be trying to get my armor off." she said as she laid back a little.

"Okay." Lex leaves and take the elevator to the debriefing room Once there rushes out to the briefing room. Taking notice that allot of soldiers and people were rushing around all over the place. He also took notice that they were prepping the Command Warship that Alamo base had. The UNSC Order of Freedom or UNSC Order for short. When he finally arrived at the debriefing room, his squad was already in with Alex and Joseph. Heckins appears on a closeby holotable.

"There you are Lex. We have got serious news from command, please have a seat." Alex comments.

Alex sits down along with his team and Joseph as he observes everything.

"Alright from latest intel. Covenant Supreme leader Havuus has been spotted leading a fleet the colony of Oban. A place that was attacked some time ago by Jul's covenant. Now command is well aware of the forerunner huntress lady. However they feel the capture of Havuus is far more important than her. If we take Havuus down we might as well take down the rest of the Covenant. As such command has ordered us to take the UNSC Order of Freedom to Oban and take care of the Covenant fleet and capture Havuus. They have placed me in command of this operation so this is what I want. I want Orale team ready within five hours, that includes your newest member. I am aware she is still recovering but luckily command actually sent us an expert in medical field in species. Gentlemen say hello to Johann Drache." Alex began.

Jo wha?" Jared asked.

"Sounds German." Hogan comments.

Everyone turns around to see a Spartan in blue colored CIO Spartan armor white markings and green visor enter.

"What is this now Alex?" White asks.

"I don't like Germans. Germans make me nervous." Hogan says quietly.

Lex smacks him in the head. "What did I say about the jokes?"

"I'm serious, Germans scare me." Hogan says gulping nervously.

"Guten Morgen Oracle Team. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Leutnant Kommandant Johann Drache. I will be serving as the secondary kommandier officer under Alex, top Medical officer, and Counter Intelligence specialist. I am aware that you have a female elite general from Covenant who has join your ranks. Kommandant Alex here has briefed me of all the information and I have done my homework on each and every one of you and the known information on everybody except Special agent Joseph whose information is classified even above my rank. With your permission I would like to see the elite patient myself and get her on board the flagship for we do leave in five hours no excuses am I clear Oracle team?" Johann introduces himself.

Everyone looks back at Alex who shrugs.

"Yep, this guy is going to serve as my second in command on this mission. So yes if your wondering, you got take orders from this guy." Alex tells them.

"Agreed Kommandant Alex but I am hard but fair so let's not get off this on a bad wrong foot. So Leutnant Lex would kindly direct me to the patient?" Johann requests.

"A Spartan medic from new Germany. Now I have seen it all." Jared sighed.

"Of course. Follow me." Lex takes point and leads Johann to the elevator. They take the elevator up to the medic bay.

"So Leutnant Lex I understand you and White were part of the Spartan III programs and are not of the new generation am I correct Leutnant?" Johann asks.

"Yes you are correct. We decided to rejoin the Spartan program." Lex answers.

"Wunderbar, the information command provided for me was not false. Now from what I have been briefed your friend has suffered a Comminuted fracture broken left arm, a series of broken ribs, and a opened fractured right leg. Have you all taken the necessary steps?" Johann began.

"Uh yeah, we've got her in better shape than before. We were able to fix all the serious stuff as you just pointed out."

"Then allow me to observe the work done to here first and we will need to move her onboard the ship as soon I am done with my inspection." Johann states.

"Okay then. Be my guest."

"With great pleasure Leutnant."

The two finally arrive back at Dena's room. She had just finished taking the rest of her armor off, back into her black suit and just got back in bed.

"Spartan Lex. I see you came back but why? Was it not a mission and who is this?" Dena asks.

"Young lady I am Leutnant Kommandant Johann Drache. I am Lex's secondary superior commander and the chief medical officer of the upcoming mission on board the UNSC Order of Freedom. Now I need you to politely strip down everything you have on in order for me to make both the observation of your injuries and to clarify a physical for command." Johann states calmly.

"What?! How dare you ask me such of a question." Dena looked surprised in an offended way with a light blush.

"You have a right to be offended and defensive as it part of elite culture and society for elites to save the revealing of their nudity only to a select lover and such acts would be considered a disgrace among your kind. However it by standard issue protocols within the human military that all soldiers regardless of race or gender is to also have a physical exam. That and I am required to also take look at the conditions of your injuries in order to figure out and decided what further do. If I am not allowed to fulfill these requirements I won't be able to help get back on your feet faster and you won't able to serve under Leutnant Lex's Oracle Team if you are not in the best of health. So my suggestions young if you desire to be part of Oracle you will be required to strip down and allow me to do my job." Johann states again calmly with his arms crossed behind his back.

"Dena, I'll be here by your side if he tries anything. But you have to do this or you can't help me on this mission to stopping Havuus and that new Forerunner."

"Wait Havuus?" Dena asks.

"Yes the Butcher of Reach the Brute chieftain who has taken the position as Covenant Supreme Leader after Jul himself. I am not fully aware of what he means to you elites but I state that he is a very wanted and dangerous war criminal in both wars and the mission we will be taken will be involving the capture and arrest of him. Now you can be of assistance to Lex but I cannot allow you to join Oracle team without confirming your health and well being. And we do have I will say four hours and thirty minutes and ten seconds counting before we must depart no excuses. And I will need two hours at best to work. So now Ms. General Dena would kindly fulfill my request and allow me to start my work." Johann continues.

She looks at Lex then back at Johann and finally gives in. "Alright, I shall fulfill your request."

"If it will make you more comfortable Leutnant Lex can stay in the room and turn around or not. It's your call General."

"Yes Spartan Lex. Please stay." She requests.

"Of course Dena."

"Herrlich now you may proceed Ms. Dena." Johann states while Lex turns around.

Dena begins removing the leather sleeves and places them on the chair, she next reaches for her back and pulls the zipper up, unzipping her leather vest till her large breasts were exposed and places her vest on the chair. Lex peaks around as he was surprised to see her large G-cup breasts exposed. Lastly he watches her pull down her tight leather pants and reveals her large rear end with smooth curves on her hips, and revealing her small panties. She then pulls down her panties and takes them off exposing her anus and her clitoris. Lex blushes extremely under his helmet as her body was fully exposed.

"Thank you Ms. Dena, please lay down for me." Johann states as he motions for her to lay on her bed.

She does as what she was told and lays down onto the bed. Johann walks over to her and starts inspecting every inch of her, taking serious note of where the bandages were wrapped on her. He very gently starts pressing down on the injured area on her body. It made her cringe heavily.

"Subject, female Elite, former General of Jul's Covenant, full name Dena Veryanee. Patient suffered intensive injuries on left arm and ribs, most serious injury located on right leg." Johann presses on her right leg softly that made her scream in pain.

"What are you doing?" She asks while in pain.

"Feeling the current conditions of injury. As expected, right leg is the most critical of injuries suffered. Will be the most difficult to recovery especially in short time. Will need to do x-ray later to decide if surgery is required or not." Johann answers as he gently feels around her leg trying to be as careful as possible.

She groans even with the light touches.

"Subject has been reported to have been inflicted by injuries from the result of phantom crash in attempt to escape from Jul's Covenant with important data. Has only had three to four weeks to recover. Not enough time for Sangheili standards. Proceeding to start with questions."

Johann reaches down to her and starts feeling around her rib area softly. That too also made her screech in in pain.

"Ms. Dena I will be asking you a series of questions and you will be required to answer them as best as you can. Understand?" Johann ask.

"Yes I understand."

Johann stop touching her and starts circling around her keeping a sharp eye on her.

"Which injury hurts the most for you when not in movement?" Johann asks.

"My chest." She answers.

"True or false. Does your right leg give you the most pain out all your injuries when you try moving?"

"True."

"Have you been having trouble sleeping because of them?"

"No, only because of the pills the nurses have given me."

"Have you tried sleeping without them?"

"No, I haven't."

"Have the pills given you any side effects. If so please name and list them for me."

"Well they do make me drowsy."

"Hmmm...from earlier video cameras I have seen from the recorded past few days you've been trying to practice while still in your critical state. When you wear your elite armor how does it make your injuries feel?"

Dena was now getting nervous not because she was butt naked in front of this Spartan but because now he's asking her questions regarding if she's fit serve or not.

"Ms. Dena?"

"Please no more questions." She begs.

Johann stops circling her. "I understand if these questions are beginning to scare you but please try to understand I cannot allow you to join Oracle team if you are still in a serious critical state. These questions are harsh but they are necessary for your well being. So please let us continue and answer the question." Johann answers calmly.

"I understand but is this the last question?" She asks.

"Ms. Dena, I said this will take up to two hours. It has only been five minutes and twenty seconds." Johann states.

"Alright then. Let us continue."

"Same question. When you wear your elite armor how does it make your injuries feel?"

"It was difficult for me to stand but I can walk. Well I needed help with walking."

Johann pauses for a moment. He turns back around to face.

"Please stand for me."

"B-But I'm…"

"Do you require assistance?"

"It's not that. It's just I'm…"

"Young lady I can assure you that I am not some perverted slime who just wants to take a look at you. I am trying to help you. I know that Covenant military does not do this but in human military we have to and if you want to be part of Oracle you have to follow standard human protocols as well. Also I will need to see how your injuries affect your movements so please stand up for me."

"It's not that either. I'm…" (Sighs) "Alright."

Dena very carefully got out of bed and stood up for Johann as best she could. Johann circled back around her, observing her sharply.

"Patient appears military trained physique but is well equipped with sexual parts most males find attractive. Would be considered a beauty by some elite standards. Patience's shyness and color of clitoris suggest virgin. Overall outside appearance appears healthy and in good shape minus current injuries. Nervousness of asked questions, built, and rank suggests military background and family line. Will now have to proceed to check other vitals."

Johann stops.

"Please have a seat for me."

Lex couldn't resist anymore as he turns around gets a full eyes on her slim and curvy body. She sits down as Lex blushed even darker under his helmet.

Johann pulls out a case full of equipment and pulls out a syringe. "Now Dena, as much as it strongly goes against Elite honor, I will require a blood sample."

"What?!"

"It is to check the conditions of your blood and how your body is doing."

"Over my dead body what more do you want from me. You already defiled me and had me show myself to you like some whore now you want to take my honor?!" Dena demanded clearly offended.

"Ms. Dena it is essential that I get a sample of your blood to check and see of your current state and if you are healthy or not." Johan corrects.

"I'm quite healthy. I don't have to do this any further. I only suffered broken bones."

"Ms. Dena, we have finished observing your injuries but before I can even determine how to correctly fix you I require a blood sample from you as well as other things. That way in case you were to suffer any more injuries or contract any type of disease I can help fix you and allow you to continue serving Oracle. If it helps I had to go through this and so did Lex. Am I correct Lex?"

"He's right, everyone has to go through it. Its for your own good so just let him take the blood sample he needs." Lex confessed.

"Spartan Lex. Not you too."

"It's standard protocol in the military to see if you're healthy and all. Its out of my hands and his. And you may feel healthy but ultimately he's the guy that determines if you really are or not."

"If I'm to serve Lex. Then so be it."

Johann walks over to Dena and wrapps a device on her right arm to get a vein from her. "Please hold still." He very gently sticks her vein and starts drawing her indigo-colored blood. It hurt her but not as much as it displeased her to lose her honor like this.

When Johann finished, he took the device off her arm and bandaged her stuck vein. Next he hands her a small little plastic cup.

"Now I require a urine sample." Johan tells her next.

"What?!" She asks shockingly.

"I need you to provide me a urine sample in this cup. If you wish I can turn around while you provide me one while I examine your blood." Johann states next.

"Spartan Lexington. Do something." She blushes extremely.

"What can I do? The guy is the new head medical officer. When it comes to this medical shit he always has the final say, even if it's over command. I can't do crap." Lex confesses.

"Ms. Dena we are almost done with phase one of your tests. Phase two will have to be sometime later after we've boarded to the trip to Oban. We are short on time so please. In the words of slang, please take a piss for me." Johann asks nicely.

"Fine, but I can't do it alone."

"We will be respectful and turn away." Johann walks over to Lex and looks away with him.

"I mean I can't do it alone because of my leg."

"So do you require assistance?" Johann asks looking back at her.

"Yes but from someone I trust the most."

"Very well. Leutnant Lex please assist her in urinating in the cup for me please." Johann requests Lex.

"I-I… uh…" He stammers.

"Please Lex. I trust you more than the doctor. Please."

Johann nods for him to hurry if possible.

"Okay. I'll help you."

"Thank you." Dena smiled.

"Of course." Lex closes the curtains and grabs the cup.

"Lex, I need help squatting down."

Lex blushes even deeper underneath his helmet and holds her hips as Dena squats down in position as he places the cup in position. Dena blushes even deeper by his soft armored touch around her curvy hips.

"Are you ready?" He asks.

She nods and begins urinating straight down into the cup as a streamline of translucent green liquid, filling the cup. Lex's face couldn't blush anymore darker hearing moans from releasing from her urinating. Dena on the other hand had blushed such a deep purple color it felt like her whole body had changed colors. Dena finishes up as it was dripping and stops completely. He raises her back up gently and places her in bed. He picks up the cup and unfolds the curtains.

"Here's her urine."

Johann gently grabs the cup and inspects. "Thank you. Ms. Dena you may dress back into your clothes if you wish I have what I need. The ship will take off in three hours and fifty minutes please be on board within the hour. I will have the results of your exam and clarification if you are capable to join Oracle within two hours." Johann states as he walks off.

They both watch him walk off, looked at each other and looked away from each other blushing deeply.

"Um what just happened right now. Stays between you and me okay." Lex requests.

"Agreed but thank you for helping me at my need."

"Your welcome. Sorry you had to go through that but...you understand that if I can't be allowed to have you join Oracle if you are seriously hurt. That's why he did all he did, to check if your okay and how he can help." Lex answered.

"I know but it felt like my dignity and honor being violated."

"Believe me, you're not the only soldier here who felt like that when he or she had to go through that." Lex states. He turns around and looks away. "I trust you want to get your clothes back on."

"Yes and when you were… holding me. It helped my leg better than I imagined. I can move slightly better. Thank you."

"Alright, but remember the doc has the say if your leg is okay or not. Well I think I'll just wait outside while you get dressed. Let me know when you finish and I'll help you pack for the trip."

"Very well. That would be best."

Lex quietly walked outside her room and waited outside of her door.

"What the fuck did I just do and why the hell am I thinking God for it?" Lex asked himself.

"What have I gotten myself into?" Dena asks herself as she puts her leather suit back on.

Meanwhile, Hogan, White, and Jared were in the barracks packing for the long mission ahead.

"Wow, going after the butcher of Reach himself. Hey White, you and Lex were on Reach when it fell, what happened?" Hogan asked.

"Let's just say a lot of our good brothers and sisters died on that day." White answers.

"Was Havuus responsible?" Jared asked next.

"We don't know. All we know that he was involved in it somehow."

"Sounds like you and Lex got a score to settle with the ugly bastard huh?" Jared asked.

"Yes, he's the bastard that killed our friends."

"What I don't get is why the hell command wants him alive. Yeah there's always the information and all that shit but seriously. Does capturing him alive really sound like a good idea after all he's done?" Hogan asked.

"No, I really don't think so. I think they're insane."

"Wonder what Lex thinks. Speaking of, guys. Let's be honest, what are we going to do with Lex and his new...friend?" Jared asked.

"The fact that he trusts her more than us scares me. But what can I say I'm just rookie he doesn't give a shit about my opinion I'm new. I haven't earned a right to have my opinion to be given a shit about." Hogan answers.

"Well rookie. Maybe it's time that we stop shortcutting with that Elite General." White suggest.

"So you're not bothered at all that Lex trusts her more than you, the very person he sees as a sister and has fought with longer anyone?" Jared asked.

"What bothers me is that we kept judging the Elite. She hasn't done anything wrong to us since she's been with us for three to four weeks. She nearly died getting us this information. If we never got it we would have never seen this Forerunner coming." White answers.

"The Elite aside for a moment. I'm just concerned that our commanding officer doesn't trust us. That's what's got me eaten up right now." Hogan mentions.

"Yeah. I mean how are we supposed to function as a team when our fearless leader doesn't even trust us." Jared asks. "I mean how can he go and make a decision like that without telling any of us about it first. Sure we would've been pissed but I'm pretty positive we would've gotten over it. But he just does that behind our backs what kind of leader makes important decisions like that behind his own team's back?" Jared continued.

"Well he knew we would react like that. That's why he didn't tell us. I know but we should've handled this better. Now Lex is distant with us because of it. It's time we trust him more. Even if it means keeping us in the dark." White lectures.

Jared and Hogan were silent after that. Not sure if they should say anything else.

"Guys, if you kept something from him that he thinks that it couldn't be trusted. Wouldn't you do the same?" White asks them both.

"No, but I have to keep allot of things from him because I know he wouldn't give a shit." Hogan states as he finishes and walks off.

Jared just looked at White for a moment and just walked off himself.

"Jared, I know you have something on your mind." White says as he stops at the door.

"What do you want me to say? Rookie has a point with his but I don't have a point with what I have on my mind. Except I just wished he would've trusted us more on it. He may have known our reaction but if he really saw us as family he would've trusted us still." Jared answered as he walked off.

"Maybe you don't understand that sometimes secrets are meant to stay secret. Even if the ones that can hurt you and your friends. Like telling the kid the fish is sleeping but when it's really dead. You two need to understand that." White mumbles to herself as Joseph was hiding at the corner at door listening to everything they said then walks off.

Sometime later, Lex was helping Dena walk towards the ship. She felt nervous with most people staring at her with looks that scared her. Still she felt a little better with Lex helping. It wasn't long before they found his team waiting for him.

"Hey guys."

"Hey…" They all answered.

"How's everyone's new armor?"

Everyone sighed a little.

"I guess that means works like charms."

"Hey there you guys are." Ladia shouts as she comes rushing over. "Can one do you guys go pick the large amounts of equipment I used to personally scan and tune and polish all of your respectives armors?" Ladia asked.

"I'll take care of it." Jared offered and walked off.

"Hey Dena how are you doing did your armor work well for you after the repairs?" she asks.

"I'm well in my armor. Thank you Dr. Ladia."

"Here let me see if I can…" Ladia tries to help Dena lean on her but almost got crushed a little. "Crap…"

Joseph walks over and helps Dena lean on him and Lex as they both helped her into the ship. Ladia stands up and pops her back straight.

"Are you okay, Ladia?" White asks.

"I'll live. I forgot elites can sometimes be a handful and I am nowhere near a bodybuilder type." she answers.

They all walk into the ship as the crew finished loading everything into the ship. Meanwhile Lex and Joseph help Dena into her quarters of the ship. Lex lays her down onto the bed as she lays down on her back trying to relax.

"Hey thanks for helping Jo…" before Lex could finish, Joseph was already walking off somewhere.

"Why does Spartan Joseph not say anything and doesn't interact with anyone?" Dena asks Lex.

"I don't know Dena. I just don't know."

"Ah, Leutnant Lex there you are." Johann appeared at the door. "A private word with you please."

"Of course." Lex steps outside with Johann and follows him to another room.

"Leutnant Lex, since you are the leader of Oracle Team I believe it was better to give you a heads up on the data I collected from Ms. Dena." he said as he took a seat.

"Okay. What do you have?"

"Well blood work and urine test turned out okay. She appears to be healthy and in good condition though I can't decide on that until I have her do more tests and allow me to examine her a little more. However I am, deeply nervous about her injuries."

"I understand. I'll have to tell her."

"You see, she's only had three to four weeks to recover currently. It will take us eight weeks to reach Oban. Giving her a total of eleven to twelve weeks to try and recovery from her injuries. She has serious broken bones and it takes months even for the slightest of fractures to heal up." Johann continued.

"But it's been a month."

"Lex, its not enough. It won't be enough time for her to recover when we get there." Johann states as calmly as he could.

"So what can we do?"

Johann sighs a little. "There are options. We could try surgery to refix her bones personally. However there could be a risk because we may not have the right amount of sangheili blood of her blood type needed for the operation. And even if the operation would be a success she will need some time to take things slow and have her bones get back adjusted. And putting her on the field after something like that would not be highly recommended." Johann answers.

"What are the other options?"

"The next option would to inject her with a series of regenerative drugs that could force the body fix the bones at a faster rate. However you risk causing serious damage to her joints that could be permanent and may cause internal bleeding that would force her to be monitored twenty four seven."

"Is that all of the options?"

Johann hesitates at first.

"I'm sorry. I wish I could do more."

"Not even a cybernetic body part like when the Spartans in the Spartan-III program?"

Johann remains silent for a moment.

"No. Doing so would take even longer to adjust. And she would have to always take painkillers to dull with the constant pain front the cybernetic parts. And the painkillers have dull side effects. The reason why the Spartan III's who had cybernetics were allowed was because they had tremendous amount of time to adapt. And you're asking Dena to adapt like then within two weeks. That is dangerous and not possible." Johann answers.

(Sighs) "Surgery might be her best bet. She really wants to serve under me."

Johann remains silent for a moment. His hands were shaky for some reason.

"Johann?" He asks.

"As chief medical officer I am responsible for the lives of everyone on this ship including hers. It is my job, my responsibility, my duty, and work to insure that. If we go with surgery, I cannot promise you anything understand. Are you willing to take full responsibility for her?" he asked seriously.

"I am but I'm not speaking for her. This is her decision."

"Very well. Go and alert her and tell her of her options. Let me know of her decision and I will make the proper arrangements." Johann comments.

"Alright." Lex and Johann walk back into the room as both of them were having a conversation.

Meanwhile Dena rested on her bed just staring at the ceiling of her room. She wondered how long it would be before they could take off. Her train of thoughts were interrupted when Lex and Johann re entered her room.

"Well Ms. Dena we have your results and now we need to have a serious talk." Johann states as he takes a seat next to her bed.

"What is it?" She asks.

"Well Dena, according to Doc here, your bones are not going to be able to heal themselves by the time we get to Oban. And I know you want to serve under Oracle so Doc has a few suggestions for you, and all of them have ups and downs." Lex began.

"What are my options?" Dena asked feeling scared right about now.

"There's the surgery but it requires a lot of Sangheili blood but we don't have enough. The second one is he injects you with some kind of regenerating medicine to help you rebuild your bones faster but may cause internal bleeding and requires being watched 24/7. Finally there's cybernetic implants but you would have to always take painkillers which cause side effects and it would take you a long time to adapt to them which we don't have. Which is it gonna be?" Lex asks.

Dena was pretty shocked with the choices she had to make. She thought about this long and hard about the choices. She first thinks about the surgery but if not enough blood flows through she could die that way. She thinks about the next was the regenerating medicine but if she gets internal bleeding she would require being watched with physical therapy and she didn't want to slow him down. Finally she thinks about the cybernetic implants she would have to take painkillers that could take her longer to adapt. In the end she had no choice but maybe go with the lesser of the three that had the better chance.

"I...I'll take the surgery option." she answered.

"Are you sure, Dena?" Lex asks.

"Yes…" she nods her head slowly.

"Okay Johann. Go ahead."

"I'll go make the preparations. We'll start once we hit outer space. In the meantime, try to relax and ms Dena. I am sorry I couldn't find any other options for you." Johann mentions.

"Try your best doctor."

Johann gets up and exits.

"Are you sure you want to go through with this?" Lex asks.

Dena nods softly. "Yes, I will take that risk if it means I can serve under you and refix everything me and my family have done." she said a little scared.

"Of course." He takes off his helmet so he can look at her with his real eyes. He begins rubbing her mandible cheek softly.

She blushed a little from his touch.

"You must go now Spartan. You have other matters to attend to."

"It's alright, I don't mind staying to keep you company. You're going to need it while you wait for the operation." he smiled to her.

"If that's what you believe Spartan." She smiles back.

"Yeah."

"Then you can stay by my side."

Lex placed his helmet down on the ground and sat with her in the bed to stay with her until the ship took off. Cables and tubes begin detaching from the ship as small hover boosters begin hovering on the flying deck rising high enough for it's blast off and the engines were whirling up..

(Radio control) "Ready for take off in… 5… 4… 3… 2… 1…"

The main engine went into a full blast as it pushes itself out of Alamo's base with Pelican's and Longswords guiding it off Sedra. They reach orbit of Sedra as other ships come along and finally reached into space. The ship begins powering up and transwarps it's way to Oban.


	8. First Day on Board

Dena laid nervously on the stretcher medical bed as they rolled her into the operation room. Even though she had some I.V.s on her arm to both help her relax and stuff, she still felt deeply scared. There was a high chance that she could die in this operation from blood loss since they may not have enough Sangheili blood of her type for her. Worse still they she would be loosing allot of honor for this surgery due to how much blood they will have to shed from her. She guessed it was better to take the risk of death and have a faster chance to recover then be crippled for life like the other options gave.

The only thing that even made her comfortable was that Spartan Lex followed with her every step of the way, this time not in his armor. It was strange not seeing him in his Spartan armor. He only wore a black shirt, camouflage trousers, and combat boots. Still, even with him with her she still was still deep down deeply scared to death of this operation she will be taking.

"Are you sure want to go through with this, Dena?" Lex asks very worried and curiously.

"It would be the better option. I rather take this risk then take the risk of being crippled like the others would give." she answered.

"I understand. Johann, are you ready?" Lex asks as they entered the operation room.

To their surprise there they found Johann out of his Spartan suit and in a normal operating outfit. His face and appearance were covered by the outfit from head to toe so they were unable to see what he looked like.

"Welcome Ms. Dena, please doctors bring her in and prep her up. We will begin the operation within moments. Leutnant Lex could you please step outside with me for a moment." Johann requests.

"Of course. I'll be back Dena." Lex follows him outside of the room to discuss something.

"Alright Leutnant Lex. What will be doing is going in and carefully repair each broken bone as best we can. The operation will take up to five to seven hours and she will not be able to wake up for at least two to three days. When she does wake up she will need to take things slow and will be required to attend therapy. She at least cannot be allowed on the field for four to five weeks. And that's only if everything goes smoothly." Johann starts.

"I understand. Is there anything I should be concerned about?" Lex asks.

"Yes. As I said she will not be ready for the field for four to five weeks. And even then you will have to watch her like a hawk with bionic eyes. Now let's hope and pray to God almighty that this will work because I cannot stress how risky this is. Are you sure you and her do not want to wait for her bones to recovery naturally?" Johann asks seriously.

"It's not me that wants to rush this. She really wants to serve in my ranks." He looks at her through the window.

"Very well. I will begin shortly. In the meantime, go do...whatever you or your team does do when on board warships. This will take a very, very long time." Johann tells him.

"Okay. Just let me talk to her for a moment." Lex requests.

"I see. You have five minutes they're already injecting the drugs in her for the operation." Johann warns.

"I understand." He walks back into the room and sits by her.

The doctors and nurses in the room finishes inserting anymore I.V.s for any necessary medicine or drugs for the operation as well as tons of Sangheili blood. She had them on her good arm, neck, and other places. She was already starting to feel the effects slowly begin to kick in and the more she got sleepy the more scared she was becoming.

"Hey any last words before you sleep?" Lex asks.

Dena looks back at Lex. "Spartan Lex...if I do not wake up...if...this does not work...please...please restore honor back to my family in my stead...should anything happen to me…" she requested with some tears falling down her eyes.

"I will." He sees the tears and wipes them off gently with a soft touch.

One of the doctors approach Lex and motion for him that it's time for him to go so they can start. As they left, Johann walks in and places a breathing mask on Dena's mouth. The doctors inject one last dosage of medicine in her for her to finally go to a deep sleep. The last thing Dena saw before she went to a deep sleep was Lex's face before he walks out of the room.

(Thinking) "I feel like we've met before. Somewhere on Reach… I…" His mind begins pacing as he hears the goddess's voice but taking toll on him again. He lays against the wall struggling to stand and she speaks to him again.

Luckily for him he arrived back in his quarters of the ship before he could pass out. He lays down on his bed and passed out asleep.

" _Why do you resist me warrior? Come to me and join my ranks… It's only a matter of time."_

His head ached from every word he heard whispered into his mind from the goddess voice. It sounded so much like the forerunner back on Sedra station. Still he was too tired to even notice much since it has been a very, very long day with everything.

Hours later after he passed out he appears in Forerunner building. Which appears to be a throne room but no one was sitting in it. Until the same Forerunner from Sedra Station approaches, floating behind.

" _Greetings Spartan."_ She greets herself startling him.

Lex immediately turned around towards her and tried to reach for his combat knife he always kept with him.

" _Why fight me Spartan? Let us talk."_

"You were forcing those people to tell you where your weapons were back at Sedra. You're also the one letting Havuus out of his cave to do whatever he wants. Anyone who does those amount of things shouldn't be surprised that anyone they talk to would be willing to rather kick your ass rather than start a conversation. But if you do want to talk, I guess I'll start by asking who and what the hell are you?" Lex asked.

" _I am Ur-Artis. The Huntress of the Creed Hunters."_

"And that's suppose to mean what to me?"

" _I have been looking for a skilled warrior such as yourself. You are very perfect for my ranks. I see the loyalty in your eyes and way more impressive than that slave; Havuus."_

"So let me get this straight I'm one of the many guys you want to join you am I right?"

" _Yes. Join me and I can get rid of that peasant."_

"What do you really want with me. What do you really want with the so called others that follow in our greatest warrior's footsteps?"

" _You are a very strong leader with your team. You have the courage to fight what you believe in. You can even lead an army at your will. What's the term you homospaiens use? Only the strongest will survive, was it?" She asks._

"I'm not the only one you want am I?"

" _Well there was this Master Chief but he was taken by this Artificial there was Shadow but he was a fool and refused my offer. But you. You have the potential, leadership and courage to lead an army of hunters. Join me."_

Lex said nothing for a moment. Before he could even say anything he began hearing White's voice in his head.

"Lex…"

Lex awoke from his dream and found White sitting on a chair close by. Like him she was out of her Spartan armor. Wearing a black shirt, camouflage trousers, and combat boots.

"You alright?" she asked.

(Groans) "Yeah, I'm fine. I was just having a weird dream."

White didn't say anything just kept silent.

"Hey, I'm, sorry about earlier regarding what I said about the elite. Its just to me it kinda felt like some kind of scheme. You can never be too careful with all the manipulating shit that goes all around us. That and I have kind of hurt how you didn't trust me enough to talk to me about having her join Oracle, and making that decision behind my back."

"I know. I understand the feeling of former covenant elites joining the UNSC. But we both know that was all years ago. It's time to let go of the pass little sis. You and I know it. Jared and Hogan have to do the same."

White didn't respond for a little while. "Where is she at now?"

"She's having surgery now. To fix her leg, arm, and ribs." Lex answers.

"Damn, getting surgery at those areas. Pretty brave of her to be going through that. Especially with the limited supplies we have for Sangheili personnel"

"Yes, I know. She's determined to serve in our ranks but I feel like there's something more to her."

White didn't say anything.

"Is there something else you need White?" He asks.

"No, at least I'm not sure." she answered.

"Okay then. Go explore the ship while I rest some more."

She sighed.

"It's been seven years, and now that we're finally going after one of the bastards responsible for Reach Command wants us to take him alive. Sir, I strongly feel that is bullshit. So many of our friends, brothers and sisters at arms were killed by Havuus and they want us to spare him after everyone and thing he's killed?"

"I know it's bullshit White but Iets not do anything that can make us lose our Spartan ranks by going against orders."

"I'm really starting to question command Lex. I mean, they go and turn on Master Chief without hesitation when he defiled one order. Just one. I'm starting to think they don't care about us, that we're all just some pawns in some political bullshit game of theirs."

"Aren't we all pawns of war White? Because it's been like that for all soldiers and Spartans alike." Lex asks.

"Maybe, I guess it's because I'm just so tired of being treated like i'm some expendable freak to them." White answers as she rubs her face in irritation.

"Well you're not the only one. And I'm sure you're not either."

White sighed quietly before getting up. "I'm going to go take a nap myself in my quarters, wake me if you need anything." she said as she left his room.

"Sure thing." He watches her walk out of his barracks.

(over intercom) "Lieutenant Lex please report to Dr. Ladia's lab for War Games check up." Heckins alerts Lex in his barracks.

Lex groans as he gets out of bed and made his way over to Ladia's lab on the lower floor of the ship. When he got there he saw her doing some examination and check ups on his suit of armor. A hologram of Heckins appears on the nearby table. Sporting a new appearance. He now had a dark body, complete with a full face helmet, and neon green outlining all over his body.

"How do I look?" Heckins asked.

"You look good without a face." Lex says jokingly.

"Fuck you too sir. Ladia gave me some upgrades and upgraded my appearance thanks to some research from the data Dena brought us."

"Don't get too cocky Heckins they are all still in prototype stages and we won't be able to test out all of your abilities until Oracle Team hits the field." Ladia said as she cleaned a dirt spot off of Lex's armor.

"So doctor. Anything you wanna tell me?" Lex asks.

"Ah yes, as you know it will take us eight weeks to get to Oban. As usual all Spartans on board are to participate in the War Games for combat training and such. Which will all be supervised by Commander Alex. However before that I need you to do a check up on your armor before you and Oracle team participate. See if I missed any traces or if your armor lacks anything that could always be fixed." she answered as she polished the visor of his helmet.

"Okay then."

"Also he is dying to try out the new upgrades I just installed into him."

"Damn right I am." Heckins answers on his table.

"I can tell he is determined. Let's test it out."

"Alright, just go and give your armor an inspection before putting it on." Ladia said as she sat down on the nearby table.

Lex goes to his armor that was standing in a scanner and activates it. It begins circling around the armor diagnosing it for any errors and bugs in its systems. After a few minutes of scanning the it stops circling and gave it a green and a 100%.

"Well, is it to your liking?" she asked.

"Oh yeah. Well done doctor. Like always." He answers.

Ladia sighs in relief.

"Good, just spent three hours checking and cleaning it. I wish you and Oracle took a little bit more care of the armors." Ladia requested.

"Hey when it comes to killing Covenant and Forerunner. There is no such thing as taking care." Lex says jokingly.

Ladia groans annoyingly. "Yeah but you could at least keep them clean."

"Will do." He says sarcastically.

"So, how's Dena holding up. I heard that she chose the surgery option." Ladia asked.

"Yes she chose it. I hope she lives through it."

"Do you think she's going to be okay?" Ladia asked concerned.

"I hope so." Lex answers.

Ladia remains quiet for another few secs before saying. "Well, I got to get back to tuning up the others armor. If you see any of them tell the report here to check out my handiwork." Ladia said as the machine brings White's armor out for her to start working.

"Understood doctor." He walks out of the ship lad. When he gets outside he sees Joseph just leaning on the railway just staring outside of the ship's window at space. Unlike Lex and the rest of Oracle Team, he still had his armor still on.

"So how long have you been listening?"

Joseph looks back at Lex for a moment before looking back out in space.

"Joseph, I know you're the silent type and all but I know you have some kinds of feelings in there. Even if you don't show it. Even with all the impossible things that a Spartan doesn't usually do. Like when you single handedly beat the shit out of that group of brutes with just combat knives and martial arts. I know you haven't tried anything on Dena, me or my team. If you feel like talking and I mean actually talk. Just message me since you don't talk." Lex walks off as Joseph continues looking out into space.

As Lex made his way down the long hallway, passing by other soldiers as he made his way over to the quarters of his team. There he found Jared and Hogan in an arm wrestling match with Hogan losing due to Jared being much more muscular and taller. Like Lex and White they were out of their Spartan Armors and wearing black shirts with camouflage trousers and combat boots.

"Come on Hogan just give in man."

"Shut up, I can kick your ass in this field just watch me." Hogan groaned as he struggled to try and out muscle Jared. "If Joseph can kick your ass in hand to hand combat then I can beat you in arm wrestling match."

"Getting cocky again I see Hogan?" Lex asks.

Both Jared and Hogan almost jumped at seeing Lex there. Which gave Hogan the small advantage to win against Jared. "Booyeah, pay up Jared." Hogan cheered.

"Hey that was cheap, I demand a rematch I had you beat rookie." Jared demanded.

Lex smiled and shakes his head watching them act like this.

"I beat you fair and square just like Joseph did."

"First off Joseph is some special agent and has classified information all the way up to the poop shoot. So how the hell was anyone supposed to guess he was some ultimate legendary bad ass. And second you won because Lex arrive therefore you cheated."

"Oh that is bullshit and you know it Jared." Hogan smirked.

"You two act like children on a playground fighting over a bunch of stupid cards."

"Come on sir give us a break. We got eight weeks all cooped up in this ship and tomorrow they want us to do the war games as practice. So yeah just trying to enjoy ourselves before we start that sir." Hogan answers.

"Watch that tone Hogan."

"What did I say?" he asked.

"It's the way you answered him." Jared contributes.

"Oh come now you're turning against me Jared. I'm just saying it's gonna be a long trip that's all. I mean dang you guys don't have to get on my back about it." Hogan groans.

They both shake their heads.

"Sir did you come here to chew me up regarding the elite because don't waste your breath. There's nothing I can say or do about it. And I've worked with people I can't stand before. But ultimately I hope and pray you know what you're doing sir. That's all, and for that I'm going to cut you some slack and get off her back." Hogan groaned.

"Thank you Hogan. I already know how you feel about Elites but I need you to respect her more. Not like as if she was your commander or something. Just a little respect okay and you might like her too."

"With all due respect sir I highly doubt you know how I feel. But I'm not asking you too much because after all, I am the rookie, I know you guys could care less what I have to say and I'm not gonna fight it just gonna deal with it." Hogan sighed.

"First off I never said that and secondly we were only joking with you. You are really a great asset to the team especially with your sniping skills. You are just as important as Dena is. Don't you ever forget that."

Hogan chuckled sarcastically.

"Yeah right...well if you guys are just gonna be chewing me up or just telling me stuff you want me to hear just to make sure I won't do something drastic I'm gonna go hit the sack and get some rest before the war games." Hogan gets up and walks off.

Lex sighs.

"I just wished he realizes that he is a great asset to the team." Jared comments.

"I guess maybe all our hard rookie jokes on him he takes seriously, even though he doesn't act or look like it much." Lex sighs as he takes a seat.

"So how's Ladia handling our armors?" Jared asked changing the subject.

"She's doing fine as usual with our armors. Should be ready soon. She's requested that we at least keep them clean" Lex answers.

"Aw man that's a whole different task by itself. Everyone knows how hard it is to keep stuff clean during wars and all that stuff." Jared groaned.

"I told her the same thing."

"So what did your squid lip friend decide to do?" Jared asked.

"First off her name is Dena and secondly she's in surgery right now."

"Hey boss no disrespect, that's slang for elite these days. And damn, I got that surgery once for an arm fracture once back in my days as a Marine. And shit man is it a bitch to recover from." Jared comments while leaning back on his seat.

"I'm sure she'll do fine. Hopefully…" Lex mumbles with worry.

"Yeah bit of advice to her. Stay away from combat until you get the feel back. And by feel as it can handle a weapon and such. Otherwise you're going to be in a whole world of hell." Jared mentions.

He sighs and rubs his eyes. "Yeah, I'll be sure to tell her that."

Meanwhile, Hogan just walks down the long hallway just irritated a little to himself. Before he knew it he accidently bumped into someone and fell on his butt.

"Ah crap." he groaned. He looked up to see that he bumped into Joseph.

Since Joseph was still in his Spartan armor, he didn't flinch. Instead he turns his head down towards Hogan.

"Oh crap. Joseph, sorry I didn't see you."

Joseph just turned around, grabbed his hand and helped him back up.

"Uh… thanks." Hogan says feeling worried a bit.

Joseph just turns back towards the large window in front showing outer space.

"So… uh. How are you Joseph?" Hogan asks.

Joseph did not answer.

"Oh come on. At least give me a nod or something."

Joseph turned his head to look at him a little, then looks back into outer space and slightly nods his head.

"I'll take that as a yes."

Joseph doesn't respond.

"So… is it awkward that you don't talk all the time like now?" He asks.

Logan slightly shrugs his shoulders a little.

"Hey uh… listen. I'm sorry from all those jokes I made up about you. I guess I was a little immature about you. I should've just act my age. I was hoping maybe we can be allies. We don't have to be friends. We can be partners." Hogan says as he reaches his hand out to Joseph.

Joseph did not shake his hand, instead he pats Hogan on the back a little.

"I… I guess that's something." He sighs in relief.

Joseph slightly nods a little.

He smiles from the pat on the back then he gently fist bumps him as Joseph did the same. He was surprised that he would do it back but that wasn't his concern. His concern was the shape of his hand that made it feel weird to him. He believes it was nothing probably all in his head.


	9. Remembering Reach

Meanwhile in the medbay as Dena continues resting she begins remembered a time when she fought against the humans. It was on Reach, her first assignment as Covenant General. Her father who was the Imperial Admiral of the fleet she served under highly advised against this but eventually allowed her permission. Dena held her Plasma Repeater close as the Phantom dropship closed in on the military base they were to topple.

Just as the Phantom came within range of a landing zone, a rocket was shot towards their ship. Knocking it down and sending it crashing close by in a large crate. Luckily she survived the encounter but as she regained her bearings, her worst nightmare had come true, Spartans.

She witnessed a small team of Spartans at a distance. it only consisted of five members yet those five Spartans alone were easily and almost without effort taking down the vast number of Covenant forces that outnumbered them. The Spartan that lead this team had a heavily customized set of armor. Wearing an Operator Variant CNM Helmet, Commando Shoulder armor on his left, Security shoulder armor with the knife on his right, Assault Commando chest armor, a Tactical Wrist UGPS on his left forearm, the Visor color being Blue, and FJ Para Knee guards.

Her father had warned her of these demons as the Prophets called them. This was her first time seeing them in action and never in her darkest nightmares did she ever expect them to be this terrifyingly skilled. She looked at her men and back at the Spartans and motions her men to take position and try and help their Covenant brothers in arms.

She sees the Spartan staring at her and sees him charging at her with a knife in his hand. He jumps her as they both tumbled down a hill together until they hit the bottom with him on top. He pushes his knife down hard but she pushes his knife away as hard as she could.

Before she could get up, he grabs her arm and puts her in a armbar while wrapping his legs on her neck in a sleeper hold. Both slowly breaking her arm while choking the life out of her. She struggled under the Spartan's powerful grip and desperately tried to get out of the situation.

She manages to break free and grabs him by the neck with her arm and places a energy sword around his neck.

"Human scum. Soon the rest of your planet will die like your brothers and sisters." She whispers.

He headbutts her hard, kicks her off him and flips back to his feet. She stood back up with him and slashed towards him with her energy sword. He quickly dodges, grabs her arm and disarms her of her energy sword. She reaches for her plasma pistol and tries to fire but only for the Spartan to slash it in half and hold the sword up to her throat.

"It's not me that's dying. It's you." He whispers back before spin side kicking her to the ground.

Dena was horrified beyond belief, here she was going to die at the hands of a Spartan. One of such great skill it didn't matter how well trained or experienced his enemies were. The Spartan slowly walked up to her, stomped his foot hard on her chest and prepared for the finishing blow.

Dena's eyes shot open wide awake from her dream, just as horrified as she was during Reach. She looked around her and saw she was in a personal large room back in the Order of Freedom. She found herself lying on a bed which she could only guess it was her's. She still saw a few I.V's hooked up to her veins with the I.V. bags dripping the medicine and other stuff her body needed. She also saw she was still only wearing her patient robe.

When finally took in her surroundings she finally sighed in relief knowing she wasn't on Reach and what she experienced was only a nightmare. A very terrifying almost real flashback nightmare.

She sat up and layed back on her bed a little as she saw Johann still in his full dressed face concealing medical outfit.

"Ah, guten Morgen Ms. Dena, or shall I say Gute Nacht." He greeted her in his usual German accent.

"I do not understand your greetings Doctor." Dena says as she tilts her head in confusion.

"It's a human thing. So..." he takes a seat next to her. "How are we feeling?"

"I am well. At least I think so." She answers with a bit of hesitation.

"Ah, herrlich. Well I have a few good news and bad news for you. The good news is the surgery was a success though I confess you were the most challenging and most scariest patient I've ever had because there were quite allot of moment were we almost lost you. Luckily we had enough Sangheili blood for your operation." Johann states first.

"But what of the bad news?" She asks curiously.

"You my lovely fraulein have allot of therapy to do. And you've been out for two weeks now. Therefore I cannot guarantee you will be ready for the field by the time we arrive at our destination. And this will take a long time to complete. But you must complete this therapy I cannot stress enough how vital it will be. And until it's completed and your body has regained its former strength. You cannot be allowed to join Oracle Squad until you are fully recovered." Johann states seriously.

"I understand. Thank you doctor."

"I am quite shocked to hear this. If I recall doctors are very hated in Sangheili culture and I was forced to cause you to shed a lot of blood dishonorably from the surgery."

"What? Why must it be during surgery?" She asks but groans a bit from the pain.

"Well that's how surgery works fraulein. We had to go in where your broken bones were to fix and repair them. That's why we were worried if we didn't have enough blood for you because most Sangheili don't like giving blood. You lost allot of blood and it was a miracle we had enough for you." he answered as he increases the dosages of her painkiller a little more to help her pain.

"I understand. Thank you for helping me."

Johann remains silent.

"Is Spartan Lex closeby?" she asked while relaxing a little as her pain was slowly going away thanks to the painkiller medicine being pumped in her veins.

"Well him and his team are or were participating in the war games for combat practice. But I think he should be finished and was going to be on his way." Johann comments.

Lex enters the room in his Spartan armor but was not wearing his helmet. He was carrying his helmet in his arm as he looked as if he had been through a rough day of training.

"Ah speak of the devil there he is now." Johann stands up.

"Hello Doctor. Dena, you're awake. How do you feel?" He asks curiously and worried.

"Hurting but I guess this...what is it you're giving me?" she asked.

"Morphine." Johann answers.

"Morphine okay...um yes uh, I am hurting a lot but this substance known as morphine is helping with that and I feel tired and relaxed I guess…" she answered.

"Well I'm glad to see you're okay and soon you'll be on my side on the battlefield. I just know it."

"Only if her body recovers during the therapy she will need to undertake. She has been out for two weeks and will need to start as soon as she feels better. Like I have told her I cannot guarantee she will be ready for the field by the time we arrive for our destination. Also Leutnant Lex I would suggest you please for her sake stop trying to push her and give her ideas that is beyond my current power. Her bones may be fixed but they are extremely and I will repeat extremely, extremely fragile and they can be broken all over if not worst if they haven't been strengthen. Understand Lex?" Johann lectures seriously.

"I understand doctor. Well Dena if you're ready to walk around a bit. I'm right here for you." Lex offers.

"Um Leutnant, she just woke up she's going to need some time for her body to at least recover from all the side effects of everything we had to give her. Like I told you before it was a miracle for the surgery to be a success and we almost lost her I lost count how many times. I want her to take it slow and easy please." Johann requested.

"It's quite alright doctor and besides it's high time that I do take a stroll. Spartan Lex if you may?" She asks kindly.

Johann sighs heavily and looks back at Dena with a pointed finger. "I will only allow this once but so help me if something happens…" Johann warns.

"Doctor please. Have a little faith in her." Lex says as he holds her hand gently.

"Fine. Ms. Dena I want you to take slow and calm steps. If you feel pain of any form I want you to stop immediately and have Lex call a nurse to escort you back. I still want you hooked up to your I.V.s your body has been without normal nutrition with only these to sustain your body. You will feel very weak and you will feel a variety of side effects from other drugs we had to give you. If you feel like your vision is cloudy or your stomach is upset I want you remain calm and have Lex call a nurse. Lex you will be carrying a bag with you at all times in case she has the need to puke. You will only move around in the med bay and I do not want you moving too much for risk of refracture. I will remind you that your bones are prepared but are weak and vulnerable to be easily fractured. Am I understood?" Johann asked with his arms crossed.

"I understand doctor." Dena answers.

Johann nods. He hands Lex a medical puking bag and says, "You're going to need this," before walking out of Dena's room.

Lex rubs his eyes and takes the bag as he as gently as he could help Dena out of bed. She slowly got out of bed. She had a good amount of trouble with the throbbing pain and her weak bones and body. Luckily Lex carefully held her as he could and helped her stand up. She started taking small and gentle steps, making slow progress as not only did she have to take it very slow but had to drag her I.V. bags with her to make sure they don't unhook out of her veins. Lex gently helped her as best as he could after tossing his helmet aside and walks her out of the room.

"So how are you Spartan?" She asks.

"I guess I'm fine, wargames are always a pain in the ass but at least we got through with it so we're allowed some rest until we get to Oban." he answered.

"Hm, Wargames. Sounds interesting. I remember Sangheilis played this game."

"So you guys get together and basically shoot it out against one another in a combat simulator to win matches depending on the goal of whatever game?" Lex asked a little curious.

"Yes but we do it with honor and respect among ourselves. At least until the Covenant arrived, destroyed it and changed it into their own vision."

"We usually do the war games to pick the best Spartan Team for the missions." Lex answered.

"Amazing and what's this game I heard of. This… Griffball." She asks.

"Yeah Griffball, not my favorite. But enough about the games how are you feeling?" Lex asked in concern.

Dena was about to answer untill she had to stop because she was feeling tired, her bones were cramping and she was feeling sick in her stomach.

"Ah Spartan Lex, may we sit down for a second I don't think…" before she could finished she had to hold her mouth from puking.

"Of course. Here." He sits her down by a nearby chair and opens the bag up for her.

She quickly takes the bag and starts puking into it. Her body shaking from feeling weak. Everytime she tried talking she had to puke again.

"It's okay. Let it all out." He says while patting on her back gently.

She tried breathing a little before puking again for another few short minutes before beginning to breath hard. "I feel so weak…" she moaned.

"Just take it easy. You're not weak. You're only just recovering. Come on let's take you back to your room." He suggests

"No I feel so weak as in I don't feel so good and I feel like I have no energy to continue." she corrected softly before throwing up again in the bag as her body continue to shake.

"Like I said you're recovering and getting the bad things out of your system." He says as he holds her steady but gentle like.

She nods her head before throwing up. Lex continued to pat her softly on the back until they noticed Joseph who had been standing there in front of them without them even noticing.

"Spartan Joseph." She greets.

He remains silent.

"Come on Dena. Let's take you back. I'm sure with more rest you'll at least have some energy when you wake up again."

Before anyone could say anything, Joseph suddenly but very gently picked Dena up and started carrying her to her room. Being very careful in both holding her and bringing her I.V. bags with them.

"Thank you Spartan Joseph. I only wish that you would speak for once." Dena thanks.

He did not say anything except helped carry her to her room while Lex followed. Once there Joseph softly sat Dena back in her bed and wrapped her in her covers as she started shaking from chills. When she was about to throw up again, Joseph quickly grabbed the bag and held it for her to puke in.

"Don't worry Dena. You'll be good as new soon enough." Lex says as he tries to lighten the mood.

When she finished and laid back to catch her breath. Joseph took a nearby wet rag and laid it softly on her forehead before standing up and walking out of the room. Before he left, he stopped and looked at Lex for a moment before leaving.

Lex watches him walk out as he sat near her and rubs her forehead gently with the wash rag. Checking her temperature on the nearby machine that kept in touch with all her vitals.

"I wonder why Spartan Joseph does not talk." Dena asked as she relaxed a little.

"I don't know why either."

"Was he in the Wargames with you?"

"No, see Joseph is a special agent for the Infinity. So Joseph is suppose to help Commander Alex and Johann pick out the team for this mission with the Promethean. So even if you do get better I'm not sure if we'll be picked for the major mission as we may get assigned for minor ones like Recon, area securing, and other small skirmishes." Lex says as he takes her wet rag and rinses it in cold water again before softly rubbing her forehead.

"Ah yes I remember now. I just wished we knew him better."

Lex shrugged.

"We've been on this ship for two weeks and no one has figured out who he is or even if he's really a he or a she. He never eats with anyone, never takes his armor off, hell, it seems he never goes to the bathroom. Now I'm sure he still does eat and uses the bathroom as well as takes his armor off. But whenever he does any of those, he is nowhere to be found." Lex confesses.

"Maybe this ONI knows about him more than we do."

"I wouldn't be surprised, those sick bastards know everything." Lex admits.

"Who? ONI those you work for?" She asks curiously.

"Well, to be honest I never had the choice in working for them."

"What do you mean?" Dena asked confused.

"When I was adopted by Dr. Hasley I had very little childhood after my parents abandoned me. I never had any choices in my life when I was a kid." Lex answers.

Dena was not sure how to respond except gasp quietly to herself.

"So yeah, I really never had choice in working for them. But if you want to know what I think about them. Back during the war I sometimes couldn't tell who was worse. The Prophets or Oni." Lex answered.

"Mutual feelings when I wanted to keep my family's tradition. I never had choices in my life as well." Dena confesses.

"Yeah, from what you told your family never had a choice. How are you feeling now?"

"A little better, at least my body has calm down from that episode from trying to walk." she answered while laying her head down on the pillow.

"That's good. Here's some water."

Lex picks up a cup of water with a straw and hands it to her. She weakly takes it and starts sipping some water with her straw. She sighed in relief after getting a nice drink of water.

"Thank you…"

"Sure thing."

When she finished she sat back on a table and laid back down again.

"Okay I may have to go for a bit. You know to check in with my commander." Lex states.

"That is alright, I think I need to get some sleep as I feel so very tired again." she mentions as she had a hard time keeping her eyes open.

"Okay then." He says while rubbing her forehead gently till she her eyes close completely asleep.

He watches her sleep just a little before getting up, picking his helmet back up, and walking out the room. Just as soon as he exits he saw Johann waiting for him.

"Doctor? What is it?" Lex asks.

"How is she? What happened? I need to know all the details of the little walk she had." Johann asks concerned.

"She's fine. She just got a little sick on the walk but she's sleeping now." Lex answers.

"She didn't break anything did she?" Johann asks referring to her bones they repaired.

"No she didn't. She vomited, was shaky and cold and drowsy. Other then that her bones are okay."

Johann sighed in relief as he had to sit down as if he was about to have a heart attack.

"I know. Breathtaking."

"You have no idea. Well let's try and keep her from vomiting. Her ribs where the hardest to fix and they can be easily fractured and broken again this early from the surgery just by puking. That was why I didn't want her walking in the first place." Johann answers.

"I understand but she needed it anyways."

Johann just rubbed his medical full face mask.

"Alright but no more until her body has regain its strength and she's ready for therapy. Am I clear?" Johann asks.

"Alright I understand and thank you for letting her walk."

Johann nods and pats Lex's shoulder.

"Okay, now you are in need of rest yourself since you and your team have been at the wargames for a good days non stop." Johann states.

"Yeah just what I thought as well. Me and my team could use the rest."

Lex heads off back to Ladia's room to have his armor removed. When he got there he saw his squad was already there getting theirs removed. White and Hogan got theirs remove while Jared was in the middle of getting his removed.

"Ow doc. Do you have have to be so rough with those robotic arms?" Jared asked as the robotic arms was taking pieces of his armor off.

"And do you all have to be so rough with your armors?" she lectured.

"Hey. In this kind of work field it's hard keeping armor good as it first showed up." Jared answered before one robotic arm yanked another piece of his armor off. "Ow."

"True but you could at least try taking care of them." she lectured after it finishes taking his armor off.

Jared groans as he shakes his head.

"Alright Lex you're up." Ladia points to.

Lex steps into the ring as the robotic arms began unraveling his armor parts down to his titanium nanocomposite bodysuit. Like Jared, the arms were a little rougher on him but they were able to get him stripped down with a few short minutes.

"Okay now that your armor pieces are off, go strip out of your undersuits and lay them in a nice order in your respective changing rooms please." she said as she tapped on her computer to have a few machines scanning their respective armor pieces.

They all go into their own personal closets and began stripping out of their bodysuits. After at least fifteen minutes, the team came out of their rooms now dressed in their normal military clothing. They see Ladia rubbing her eyes as her machines continue to scan their armor pieces.

"Note to self, need to request to commander Alex the petition to have all Spartans clean their own armor after each scenario." she groans to herself.

"Just be lucky it isn't broken. If it ain't broken don't fix it." White says approaching Ladia.

"More like you should be lucky you didn't break your armors. If it was broken I take an Assault Rifle and go Tony Mantana on your asses." she sighed.

"Hey I got a question doc. Does Joseph ever come here to take his or her's or it's armor off?" Hogan asks.

"No. Come to think of it nobody has seen Joseph without his armor off. It's like he wears it twenty four seven and goes somewhere private to get it fixed or clean up and other stuff." she said as she leaned back at her seat clearly annoyed.

"Well that's no surprise to me." Hogan contributes.

"Alright let's give Doctor Ladia some space she's already ticked off at us for really trashing up our armors back in that last Griffball match." Lex mentions while Ladia just waves her hand for them to please leave.

Everyone nodes and exits the room.

"Finally sometime to myself." She mumbles to herself.

Meanwhile, the team head back into their barracks and drop down in their beds.

"Damn, I can't tell if the implants we got are working or we seriously worked our asses off so hard that we've become exhausted by Spartan standards." Jared moaned with his face on the pillow.

"Yeah I'm exhausted as well." Hogan muffles in his pillow.

"First time in years that a wargames match actually drained me this much." White comments while she laid back on her bed and kicks her combat boots off her feet. "Kinda makes the real life battles we go through not that tiring anymore."

"It is weird that the fights we go through is like nothing to us." Lex contributes while laying down on his bed on his back.

"Hey White, did they have War games back before the Spartan IV program?" Hogan asked.

"No, the Wargames didn't start until the Spartan IV program started. So back during our time with the Spartan IIIs, they chose Spartan teams for missions based on our success record." White answers.

"Yep we had Spartan Ops but that operation shut down after the revival of the Spartans." Lex contributes.

"Damn, must've sucked being Spartan IIIs." Jared mentions.

"Yes it did." White answers.

"Question, if you two had the chance to change history and never be forced into the Spartan program like kids were back before the IV program, would you two take it?" Hogan asked.

"Actually yes I would because I never had a choice in my life." Lex answers honestly.

"What about you White?" Hogan asks next.

White sighs and just doesn't bother to answer at all.

"Alright I guess that means cut the crap and hit the sack. See you whenever we wake up." Hogan says as he and Jared pass out.

Lex watches them pass out and looks over to White.

"White, you know you can talk to me right?" Lex mentions.

"I know. But this is one of those I rather not talk about. At least not now." White answers as she closes her eyes and passed out asleep herself.

Lex watches her for a moment before closing his eyes and going to sleep.

In his dreams, it was no surprise to him to be remembering a battle on Reach. One in which he and White came out as the only survivors of their Spartan Squad. In the dream, he remembers providing cover fire behind a trench while White was trying to help one of their Spartan teammates who took a plasma grenade to the arm which blew his right arm completely off and burned a hole through his helmet and part of his face. She tried applying first aid but struggled as the fight continued to get more sever and the number of Covenant was growing. Not only that but Lex was running out of ammo fast and wasn't sure how long they could hold this position or if they could even move their comrade.

Growing desperate as they were soon being overrun with enemies he had to make a choice. Turning back he grabbed White and dragged her with him as he made a run for it. Forcing them to leave their comrade at the mercy of the Covenant. When the Covenant enemies approached their comrade, he pulled all the pins in his grenade belt and blew up in a massive explosion, taking most of the Covenant with them.

Lex did not look back but he knew what happened judging by the sound of the large explosion he heard from behind him. White stopped struggling from this grip he had on her hand when it happened as she apparently saw it. She yanks her hands from Lex and follows him as the ran across the battlefield shooting down whatever Covenant that got in their way. Time seemed to have slow down as they saw the battle continue all around them. Neither side seem to get the other hand as everyone just kept dying from shooting one another or blowing the other up.

He begins taking shots at the Grunts and Jackals as he sprints through the battlefield until coming out from the dust cloud he spots the slim Elite General and charges at her. They both drop tumbling downhill until hitting the bottom until he was ontop of her then draws his knife and forces it down on her. She pushes him back as they both struggled until she pushed him off with her foot. She then draws her energy sword, grabs him with an arm chokehold and held it against his neck.

"Human scum. Soon the rest of your planet will die like your brothers and sisters." She whispers.

He then headbutts her till she fell backwards dropping her energy sword. He grabs it, grabs hold of her and held it against her neck.

"It's not me dying. It's you." Lex says as he was about give the final blow until an energy blast from a plasma pistol shot him the back but only injuring him. He lays on the floor face front as he watches the General getting away in a Phantom.

Lex watched the elite general fly away in a phantom. He saw another of his spartan teammates who appeared to have been shot and beaten to a pulp. Despite this he refused to go down. He aimed his rocket launcher and was about to take aim until a Wraith tank had drove by and shot a powerful plasma shot at him. The result sent him flying but at the same time it caused a chain reaction of his firing at the wraith and destroying it. His battered and ruined body landed hard on the ground.

Lex and White quickly ignored the General and rushed to their comrade who was still alive but barely. White looked at his injuries and found he had injuries beyond recovery all over him. Lex squeezed her hand and held it tightly with him to try and help him endure the agony. The Spartan did the best he could until finally Lex felt his grip soften until it felt lifeless in his hand.

Lex wakes up shocked breathing heavily squeezing his pillow. He takes a moment to take deep breaths and slowly calms down a bit. He rubs his forehead to his eyes thinking about the Sangheili General from his dream and the one with him now.

"That Sangheili General from Reach…? Was it her?" Lex thought to himself.

He lays back down and continues thinking and comparing the Sangheili General in his dream and the one with him now for the rest of the evening.


	10. Connecting Lines

**One Week Later...**

Dena continued to walk on the treadmill device as they called it while Johann who was back in his Spartan Armor watched. Over the past week she was able to walk again and now she was busy trying to regain strength back in her bones.

"Alright Ms. Dena we're going to increase the speed only a little. I want to see you do just a little jogging. If it starts to hurt extremely let me know and stop." Johann warns her up front.

She nods and lets him increase the speed of the device. She continued to walk fast despite her leg was hurting her. After walking fast for a small while she started jogging a little but quickly found that it was getting too much to bear.

"Is it too much for you Ms. Dena? I can stop for you." He asks.

She nods her head in agreement. Johann nods back and turns the device off. Slowly the machine slowed down and so did Dena. When the two came to a complete stop, Dena felt her leg and chest hurting while breathing hard.

"Here Ms. Dena. Have some water." Johann says as he gives her a glass of water with a straw in it. She sips into it and feels a little bit refreshed.

Johann helps her sit down on a nearby bench to catch her breath. "How do you feel? Are you in any pain?"

"It hurts when I breath sometimes and my leg always acts up every time I try to either jog or run or when I walk for too long." She answers while trying to calm her body down.

"I see, yes that's just your bones trying not to re break themselves they're not yet as strong as they used to be." he answered.

"I understand. I just need more rest is all."

Johann brings up a holographic sketch board and writes a little stuff down.

"Three hours, twenty five minutes, and fifty seconds. I think we're done for today. Alright when you feel ready I want to carefully try walking back to your room and then get some rest for the day." Johann tells her as he finishes writing down Dena's progress for the day.

"Very well and thank you again doctor. For everything."

"No need to thank me Fraulein, I just do what I can on whatever I am assigned to do." Johann answers as he stands up and starts walking off while singing some song in German. "Meine kleinen Krankenschwester, willst du mit mir gehen."

Dena titled her head a little confusion as she watched him walk off singing a song in German.

"What is that you are humming to?" Dena asks curiously.

Johann didn't hear her as he was out of the room before he could hear the question. She sighs and continues thinking over with the dream she had with the Spartan. She can't help it if it was Lex all this time.

"Maybe I should go get some rest as Johann requested." she said to herself as she carefully got up and started walking out the room. She was glad to at least walk a little in one week but still was concerned if she was going to have enough time before they arrive.

Since the therapy room was only a couple of feets close to the medbay, it didn't take her long to return back to her room and lay down on her bed. She laid there tired out with her muscles burning and her bones aching. It was better then them being broken however. As she stared at the ceiling above her she still thought about the Spartan from Reach in her dreams.

"Is it really him? After all this time." She asks herself and getting a bit flashback moments with the Spartan. "If it is him then why I do have these strange feelings for him?" She asks herself again.

She decided to turn around and lay on her right side as she continued thinking about Lex and the possibility of him being the Spartan she fought back on Reach. She grabs her bed sheet and squeezes it tightly over thinking on her memories with Lex but tries to calm down a bit. She tried thinking of something else in an attempt to not let her memories of Reach bother her. To her surprise she suddenly started thinking about that moment when Lex had to help her get a Urine sample for Johann.

"I felt something touched me in my heart from him. It's like that human tale Romeo & Juliet. Is this what it feels like?" She thought to herself and blushes a bit.

She tried shaking the thought out of her head and just rest. The moment she tried she again started thinking back at that moment with Lex holding her while she was butt naked in front of him and urinating in a cup. Remembering how he held her in such a strange and perverted moment, his gently touch on her despite him wearing his Spartan armor at the time.

"I can't help myself. Why are these thoughts in my head?" She thought to herself and realizing that her hand was down near her womanhood and it was wet.

Her face blushed a deep purple color and tried moving away. However she found that her body was now desiring that touch she had just a moment ago and was not going to leave her alone just yet.

"Oh dammit why did this have to happen now of all the bad times. And why is it happening just because I'm trying to figure out if Lex is that Spartan I fought on Reach or not." she asked herself quietly as she struggled to resist her body's burning urges.

She couldn't resist the urge any longer as she began rubbing her womanhood lips gently while moaning quietly. She tries to moan quietly so the guards or Johann won't hear her as she feel her fingers were getting wetter.

She started breathing heavily as she gently rubbed her pussy lips quietly. Her face blushing more and her body feeling more hot. She traced a line across her slit and pulled her clitoris every now and then. Finally she couldn't take it no more. She rolled on her back, placed her full hand inside her pants and continued rubbing in there. She used her other hand to reach under her shirt to massage one of her boobs.

She growls softly under her breath huffing and puffing. She moans softly and speaks in her Sangheili language as she rubs herself deeper into her slit.

" **What is happening to me? Why am I doing this?** " she moaned softly in her Sangheili language.

She was beginning to grow increasingly hot as the pleasure was increasing. The more she rubbed her slit and played with her boobs the more she just wanted more. With a soft and quiet growl, she quickly took her shirt, pants, bra, and panties off. Tossing them to the floor to lay butt naked on her bed as she increased her actions tenfold. Inserting her finger inside her womanhood to finger fuck herself like crazy while her thumb rubbed her butt hole slightly. She squeezed and fondled her breasts and nipples roughly as she moaned even more pleasure.

" **Why must I feel like this? My body is burning with a rage for Lex. Why?** " She thought to herself in Sangheili while moaning under her breath.

She arched her back and finger fucked herself furiously as she squeezed both her large breasts in one hand and her nipples in her fingers. She sees an object next to her shaped as what the humans called a pen of some sort. She takes it and slowly rubs it around her pussy lips as she moans more from it and lastly slides it into her womanhood while growling in pleasure.

In the heat of the moment she soon found herself thinking back at that moment with Lex and the urine sample. However in her imagination after she peed in the cup, Lex slowly started rubbing his spartan armored fingers in her pussy. The imagination made her softly moan as she increased her efforts to slide the pen in her breeding hole much more faster.

" **Yes Lex. Be my mate.** " She moans softly while speaking in Sangheili as she images another dream. She uses the moment back when she encountered Lex on Reach but fantasizes it.

Instead of being close to death she sees him kissing her on the mandibles. But of them were out of armor as she sees a large bulge in his underwear. He takes it off and wastes no time to thrust inside her without giving her a chance to see it.

She moans and growls more but a bit louder. She still tries not to yell out to get attention but she couldn't bare the thought feeling of Lex inside of her. She thrusts with incredible stamina as she soon found herself getting ready to blow. She tries holding it in for two maybe three more minutes. However all good things had to come to an end. Tossing the pen aside she finished herself with her fingers. Within at least another minute, she came with a geyser of translucent blue liquid squirting out of her.

She moans out loudly while squirting out her own liquid out of pleasure as it gets on the bed. She calms down and collapses on the bed clearly out of breath and exhausted from all her actions. Her face still blushing a deep purple with a satisfied smile on her face.

" **Oh Lex. From that day on Reach. I hope we can be more than allies.** " She spoke to herself softly and quietly in her Sangheili language.

She quietly covered herself in her bedsheet and went to sleep, dreaming more of her Spartan, Lex.

Meanwhile, Alex was briefing Oracle Team in a briefing room with Johann and Joseph in the room.

"So Doc how is our patient?" Alex asked.

Johann sighs. "She has recovered the ability to walk but unfortunately recovery is slow." Johann answers.

Alex just sits down and rubs his face helmet.

"So that's it Doc?" Alex asks.

"I'm afraid so."

Alex thinks for a moment.

"She just needs time to recover that's all." Lex states.

"Yeah I know. Which is why we can't afford to wait. Once we arrive Oracle will have to proceed without her until she does." Alex states bluntly.

"As if we have a choice." Hogan comments.

"Now by the time we get there it is possible she will at least regained most of her abilities but still will need to retrain herself which will take weeks." Johann says.

"So you're telling us, that she won't be able to help us for weeks even when we get there?" Lex asks.

"Korrekt."

"Uh… what?" Hogan misunderstood.

Johann sighs annoyingly.

"Like I'm telling everyone in this room. She can't serve Oracle until she's retrained and suited for the field which could take weeks once we're there. And no there is no way else to speed up the process and if there was I sure as hell will not risk because of the chance of permanently breaking her."

"We understand that doctor." Lex answers.

"Will she be okay for Cyro Sleep?" Alex asks next.

"Well we do have technology to keep her muscles moving while she will be asleep. But still even with that she will still need to relearn how to be useful on the field." Johann crosses his arms behind his back.

"Is that your final word doctor?" Alex asks.

Johann nods.

"Alright guys you heard the Doc. Ms. Dena won't be on the team for another few weeks even after we get there. So you guys are gonna have to play it the usual way until she does." Alex answers.

"I think we can handle that sir." Hogan answers.

"Good, team dismissed and I want everyone prepared for Cyro sleep in two hours." Alex states as he dismisses the team.

"Yes sir." Lex salutes as the team walk off into the cryo room.

"So what are we gonna do without Ms. Elite with us?" Jared asked.

"The same thing we always do. Just because she won't be joining us doesn't mean it's the end of the world. We can manage without her for a few or more weeks." Hogan answers.

"Hogan is right. We'll let her rest for the time being as we are to do the same." White contributes.

Lex didn't say anything.

"Hey Lex still with us?" White asks.

Lex was still deep thought about that day on Reach with the female Elite General and comparing to Dena. He remembers the feeling of her slim curvy body when he fought her on Reach and when he was helping her with the urine sample.

"Lex!" White shouted at him.

Lex snaps out of it. "Huh? Oh sorry I'm just in a deep thought. What were you saying, White?"

White, Hogan, and jared look at each other for a moment before looking back at Lex.

"What?" Lex asks.

"Are you okay, Lex?" Jared asks curiously.

"Yeah I'm fine just deep at thought on what to expect when we find the Covenant and that Forerunner Promethean lady or whatever the hell she is." Lex answered.

"Oh okay then." Hogan answers.

"So you're not upset that the Elite is not going to be joining us for a few weeks or more?" Jared asked.

"Well a little because I don't want this to be all for nothing you know." Lex answers.

"Sir don't forget we're going there to top the Covenant at all costs." Hogan reminds him.

"I know, Hogan. I know."

"Well I guess all there's left now is to get prepared for Cyro sleep, better go check on your friend and help her get ready." White states as she, Jared, and Hogan walk off.

Lex watches them walk off as he goes off to the medbay to check on Dena. As he makes his way to the med bay he still was plagued by memories of the events of Reach. Most noticeably the one where he encountered the female elite general and was forced to watch and let two of his closes Spartan Teammates die.

Almost shortly after that battle him and White fought in Reach. Only she and Lex were able to make it out of that area alive. He remembered it rained that night as they hid inside an abandoned and ruined building. They had their helmets off for different reasons that night. Lex forgot why he took his off but he remembered White had taken her's off to ball her eyes out.

Lex just sat there in complete silenced as he listened to White ball her eyes out for their two dead brothers in arms they had served with for almost ten years. Lex was just as if not more devastated for their loss then she was. After all, it was he who made the choice to let one die and unable to save the other.

He checked the time and sees that they needed to move. Getting up he carefully walked over to White only for her to turn around and punch him in the face as hard as she could.

"You bastard! How could you just leave them to die like that!" she yelled and punched Lex hard again in the face. "They were our brothers God Damn it! I mean God Damn it Lex how fucking could you!" she yelled at him.

When White tried punching him again, he gently blocked her attack, grabbed her and pulled her into a deep hug. She punched him hard in the ribs for a moment before stopping and began breaking down crying her eyes out on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry, White. It's either one or none at all." Lex speaks low with a breaking voice.

She couldn't say any words due to how upset she was. He hugs her tighter but gentle like as Lex begins to tear up a bit.

"It's not fair...it's not fair...they didn't even have the chance to even known what it's like outside this life." she cried.

Hearing that made the tears in Lex's eyes form even bigger as he tried his hardest to not cry himself.

"I know, sister. I know."

"Don't say that. Don't you fucking dare say that. Not right now please…" she cried a little harder on his shoulder as she held him tightly. "They were our family. The only family we ever knew…"

Lex continues holding her closely as UNSC reinforcement came to pick them up.

"We can't leave them like that. Not with unmarked graves…" she whimpered.

"Who says we were leaving them?" Lex asks.

White simply lets him go, puts her helmet on and walks off slowly to be picked up by the UNSC aircraft. Lex and the soldiers followed into the aircraft as Lex looks back while the door shuts and the aircraft takes off.

* * *

Lex continued to walk down the hallway towards the med bay as he continued to remember the horrible events that day on Reach. Before he knew it, he found himself already at Dena's room and not realizing it until he noticed her sleeping form underneath the blankets of her bed.

He sits down in a chair besides her and watches her sleep for a small moment before softly patting her on the shoulder. She slowly woke up and yawned to stretch her mandibles wide.

"Hey there." Lex said.

(Gasps) "Spartan Lex." She grabs her sheet covering herself remembering what she did earlier. "I didn't expect you."

"Sorry to bug you. The whole ship will be entering cyro sleep soon for the rest of the trip. Just wanted to give you a heads up." Lex says softly.

"Really? What will happen to me then?" Dena asks curiously.

"You'll be joining us and everybody on board this ship in Cyro sleep. There's supposed to be some special devices installed in yours that's suppose to help and exercise your muscles to try and help you recover even while you're in cyro sleep." Lex answered.

"So this will help me heal faster and while besides you?" She asks.

"It will help but not as much and I don't know if you'll be beside me or not they may put you in Cyro sleep in the medbay for that procedure." Lex answered.

"Because if I am to be frozen… I want to be… by your side." She says hesitantly with a deep purple blush.

Lex rubs his face a little. "Sorry, they got to keep you where they need you and me where they need me. But on the way back home, I promise." he smiled and patted her hand gently.

"I understand, Spartan. You do what's necessary." Dena says with a disappointed look.

"If it's okay with you, call me just Lex please." Lex requested.

"Very well then, Lex." She says with a lightened smile.

Lex smiles and just stares down at the ground.

"Why must you stare at the ground, Lex?" She asks curiously with a tilted head.

"Sorry just, old bad memories hurt." Lex answered.

"I know. I've been having bad nostalgic memories as well." Dena contributes.

"Stuff you did in the War?' Lex asked looking back at her.

"Yes but this one particular memory I have. Something that keeps reminding me of a Spartan I fought before on Reach. I just wished I knew that Spartan and why as well."

Lex chuckled a little.

"Bet that Spartan was one tough son of a bitch huh?" he asked.

"Yes he was. The feeling he had on me felt similar… to you but what do I know."

"Similar to me?" Lex asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes the feeling of his hands against me from that on Reach and when from the certain thing you helped with. The feeling felt the same and felt odd to me." She answers.

Lex remained silent for a moment before getting up. "Well I need to go get ready. They should be able to come and escort you to yours in just a moment. So I'll see you in six or whatever the heck amount of weeks we got left." Lex states as he begins to head out the door.

"Very well then. I'll shall see you soon, Spar… Lex."

Lex looks back and smiles at Dena before walking off. Once he exited her room and started making his way to the Cyro chamber his mind was now focused on a different set of thoughts. Dena was that female Elite General he fought back on Reach. He knew there had to be a connection due to the strong resemblance but now he wasn't sure what to think. Was it fate by chance that they met or was it just coincidence he wondered. Either way he wasn't sure what to think anymore. At this point hopefully she'll get the chance of redemption on this mission. However in the back of his mind, he hoped and prayed that they'll all be able to survive and come out of this okay. Because for another reason he didn't know why, he had a strong bad feeling about this mission. One that strongly reminded him of the bad feeling he had before Reach was attack. These thoughts stayed and bothered him even when he entered Cyro sleep and froze himself like everyone else.


	11. Wake up Call

**November 2nd - 3rd, 2552…**

 **The Fall of High Charity...**

Dena breathed heavily behind cover, her armor torn up, her shields damaged beyond repair, her ammo extremely low. She had several cuts, bruises, plasma burns, and a few bullet wounds on her. Nevertheless they were not as bad as they looked or how horrible the situation was.

In one day her entire life as she knew it was over. The Prophets had gave the Brutes full control of the Covenant fleets and with the support of the other races, had instigate a genocide of the Sangheili, her people. Just when she thought it could not get any worse, the Demon known as the Master Chief arrived along with the dreaded Flood themselves.

"Father, where are you?" She calls on her com while coughing a bit of blood.

She only got heavy static in her com as either one of their coms was heavily damaged if not destroyed or one of their coms was lacking power.

"Father, please." She says as she continues limping across the hall hoping she won't run into the demon or any of the Covenant or Flood.

She still got only heavy static which seemed to grow worse for every use to completely shutting off permanently.

"Father, please answer!" She calls through the com once again.

When the com did not do anything and seeing that it was completely dead, she tore it from her helmet and threw it across the room in a fit of rage.

" **Please father. Be safe for me."** She mumbles to herself in her Sangheili language.

She slowly tried limping her way through the dark hallway filled with dead bodies of mostly Sangheili and only a few Brutes and other Covenant race members. She also spotted a good number of dead Flood invested bodies as the room reeked with rotted death and decay. She tried making her way through and every now and then she would accidentally trip on some of the bodies and fall on the ground to get soaked with the rotted blood all over the floor.

"Disgusting." She mumbles to herself as she continues limping across the deceased Flood. As she made her way through she heard one of the coms from a deceased Sangheili soldier going off. It was heavily static but she recognized the voice to be her father's voice.

"Is anyone there? Hello? This is Imperial Admiral Kedo 'Veryanee does anyone read me?" Dena heard the voice come from the dead Sangheili's com.

She quickly dived for the com and yanked it off the helmet of the Sangheili corpse.

"Father? It's me! General Dena 'Veryanee. Where are you?" She asks.

"Dena? What in the name of our ancestors are you doing on this station?! I had you assigned on Earth!" She heard her father growled at her through the com. From the sound of his voice she could tell he was seriously hurt or something.

"I couldn't leave you, father. Tell me where are you." Dena requested.

"Dammit! Fine, I'm located in these coordinates. I was trying to see if I could get as many of our people off this station as I could but the damn Brutes ambushed us and killed all my men. I was able to get rid of them but I'm pin down and I can't move." He told her.

"I'm on my way!" She says as she tries to limp faster.

"Dena as your superior and as your father I am ordering you to get off this station! I will not be responsible for your death if you die here I will not do you hear me!" He yelled at her through the com.

"I will not leave you. I'll get us both off of the station." She insists.

Her father was silent for a moment before she heard him curse in the language under his breath.

"Father!" She exclaims.

"Dena, I'm...fuck, how did it all come to this…?" she heard him respond, and actually sounding sad.

"What do you mean?" She asks as she continues limping to his location. She looks on her right seeing large explosions outside.

"Never mind that just get here fast so I can at least save your life." He barked at her through the com.

"Save mine? I'm saving yours." She corrects as she was getting closer.

"I would rather you just leave me here but since you're too damn stubborn as always I know you're not going to leave until you drag my worthless dead weight with you. So hurry up and get here so you can get out of here!" He corrected her.

She finally arrives seeing her father Kedo in the room. He was a large battle harden Sangheili that looked a lot like a older male version of Dena. He wore the Imperial Admiral's armor that was silver in color similar to that of an Spec Ops Sangheili and a Sangheili Ultra, and covered with the gold Forerunner Glyphs of Sacred Mystery, much like the Arbiter's. Tied around his neck he wore a purple cloak that symbolized his status.

She sees him badly injured lying on the ground against the wall bleeding out from his lower chest caused by Brute Spiker Shrapnels. His right leg was buried and crushed under a large set of rubble. His head was bleeding badly under his helmet as she can see a blood trail from his forehead with his left two mandibles apparently ripped off. His left arm badly broken and enough to show his half of his snapped bone and he could barely breathe.

Dena gasped in horror seeing him in this state as he continued to struggle to breathe.

"Now that you see what a mess I'm in. Are you ready to get off this station now!?" He yelled at her.

"Might as well since your stubborn." She decides to play along.

"That is not what I meant child, do you not realize that I would only serve as dead weight to slow you down. And I'm not going be the reason for anymore to die on my behalf." He lectured her.

"That's not going to happen father." She insists as she begins trying to move the rubble from his leg until he noticed the shot wound from her.

"What happened?!" He yelled in concern seeing her injuries.

"I was shot but I'm fine father. Now let's get you out of there." She says as she struggles to get the rubble off his leg.

"Dammit child you're not going to move that rubble if you could've I would've been gone by now." He said as he pushed her back away from him and tried reaching for something. After much struggle he finally pulled out the hilt of his energy sword and handed it to Dena. "You're going to have to cut if off."

"Father no! I can still get you out!" Dena says fights with him.

"Dena listen to me, there's nothing left in my leg except flesh and blood it's useless regardless if you get it out or not. So cut it off!" He yelled at her enough to scare her with a serious order.

She hesitates a bit but then takes the energy sword hilt and activates the blue energized sword. She looks at the blade then looks at him with a bit of fear.

"DO IT NOW!" He yelled at her once more.

She hesitates and begins to tear in her eyes and finally began the cutting process as he grunts in agony. She tried to not to look but she did not want to mistakenly kill him as she saws down halfway his leg.

Not wanting to waste anymore time, Kedo grabs her sword arm and forces her to slice through the rest of the way instantly. Letting out a loud yell of terrible agony that echoed across the many different hallways of the room.

"Father!" She yells in shock.

With his right leg off he was now free from the rubble. Slowly he tried pushing himself away but struggled from all his other injuries.

"There, there should be a Phantom close by that you can use to get out of here." He said in between struggling breaths and grunts of agony.

"Okay father." She picks him up gently trying not to hurt him badly. She let him lean on her as she starts limping across hallway towards the docking bay. She struggled very much due to how heavy he was compared to her and from all her injuries. As a result they made very slow progress.

"Dena, please don't do this. I've already lost so many men I saw as my own children. I won't loose my own flesh and blood. Please just leave me here and get off without me." He begged her sadly.

"I'm sorry, father but I won't lose you. I can't lose you." She says while tearing a bit.

He looked at her and sighed.

"All this time…" he suddenly said.

"Huh?" She asks.

"All this time. All this time serving the Covenant, all that time my father served, and his father, and his father, and all the way back to the joining of the Covenant. Long has our bloodline has served the Covenant. And yet all this time, it was all a lie. All of it, every last last letter from every last word from every last sentence from every last paragraph. All lie, all of them. All this time our family has done nothing but shed the blood of innocents and commence unforgivable atrocities with each generation. All for nothing, all those deaths, those murders, for nothing but now shaming our family name. And yet after all the horrible disgraces we have done with blind faith. This is how they reward us? This how they reward for the disgrace our people suffered for their own selfish gain in the Great Journey that turned out to be nothing but a fucking LIE!" Kedo mumbled underneath his breath.

"What are you saying father?" She asks curiously with fear in her eyes.

"Don't you get it, everything you, me, and our family has done for the Covenant was for nothing. Our family has the blood of countless innocents on their hands in a war that shouldn't have been fought in the first place! The Great Journey, the Halo Rings, it was all a lie! And with our disgrace to fulfill their selfish greed, the Prophets decide to cast us aside like trash to replace us with these savage Brutes and have us eliminated." He told her.

"So everything we believed… was a lie?" She asks.

"Everything we have believed in since the first of our family joined the Covenant was all nothing but a lie." He said sadly. "Everything we have all done since the beginning of this war, since our family first served the Covenant, was for nothing."

" **By our ancestors… I can't believe this."** She thought to herself out loud in their language, rethinking everything she has done over the course years of the Human-Covenant War. Everything her entire family has done over the years since one of her ancestors first joined the Covenant.

"I should've done something when I had the chance. I should've seen it coming. But like the fool that I am I followed them blindly without question. And now, I don't even know what orders are any more." He said tearing up.

"Father…" She stopped for a moment to wipe his tear.

"If our family knew this from the beginning we would have never joined them in the first place. And now all those years, those achievements our ancestors made. They were never achievements, just horrible acts of dishonorable pointless bloodshed. And all those generations of our family, going to their deaths never knowing the truth behind the actions they committed...Dena what has our family become, what have we become…" he asked deeply sad almost on the brink of crying.

"I don't know father. Maybe we can fight back against the Covenant. To make up for what our family did." Dena suggests.

Kedo just sighed sadly while cringing in agony from his wounds as he struggles to hold onto Dena. She holds him up again continuing their way to the docking bay. After a few limps across the hallway they finally reach the docking bay with only a few phantoms left. To their bad luck, they see a huge battle going on between Covenant members and infected flood forms.

"Dammit." Kedo cursed quietly.

"Don't worry. I'll distract them and you can sneak your way around them. You can crawl around them." Dena suggests.

Kedo growled annoyingly. "Crawling, is this what I've been reduce to?"

"If it means bringing you to safety." Dena answers then chuckles.

"Just get it over with I'll watch your back." he complained and sat down with his back to the wall; with a Plasma Rifle in his right hand.

Dena rushed over on the side of the battle hoping to not get spotted by the Infected. She manages to sneak over to the Phantoms and jump into one then. Reaching over into the pilot seat as she began turning a few switches on activating the Phantom's engines.

"Father, I'm at the ship. I'm coming to get you." Dena says on the com.

She heard no response

"Father?" She asks again as she went outside for moment to see him.

Outside she saw most of the Flood were eventually killed off by the Covenant in the room. However by the looks of it it would appear the Flood took them with them. She stepped outside quietly to see all the dead bodies of both Covenant and Flood laying all over the floor. Just as she took another step she felt a large sharp pain hit her knees and force her to fall to the ground in pain.

She quickly checked her knees to find that someone shot painful shrapnel in them. She soon heard a dark laugh as she slowly looked back up forward to see a Brute Chieften along with two Brute Stalkers entering. The Brute was carrying her father by the throat with one hand easily. From the looks of it, the Brute had savagely beaten Kedo within an inch of his life as he was covered in savage bruises and looked like a badly bloody mess.

"Oh how I've waited so long for this." The Chieften grin wickedly.

" **You can die in the fires of hell, Havuus."** Kedo says angrily and spits him in the face.

Havuus growled with anger and suddenly grabs Kedo's left arm and with immense strength, tears his arm completely off. He screams in agony from his arm being torn off while the brute held his arm up above his face and let Kedo's blood pour into his face for him both in front of Kedo and his daughter Dena.

Havvus next begins brutally beat him to a pulp using Kedo's own arm.

"Hey boys, why don't you go have your way with the bitch over there and I'll come join after I've had some fun with her daddy right here." Havuus suggested to his two brute stalker bodyguards.

The two brute Stalkers smirked and slowly walked over to the injured female elite. She tried standing up but with both her knees heavily injured she was unable to do so as the brutes approached her even more.

Enraged by this, Kedo couldn't take this anymore. So ignoring all his injuries he activated an energy dagger from his wrist and stabbed it right through Havuus' left eye. The two brutes heard Havvus yelled from him getting stabbed and rushed over back to him to see what happened drawing them away from her long enough for Dena to escape.

"YOU BASTARD!" The Chieften yelled in a loud rage as the Elite in his grasp smirked as he kept trying to dig his energy dagger further down his eye to try and stab his brain.

" **Dena, run!"** Kedo yells to her.

" **But Father…"**

" **Now, Dena!"** He yells back persistently.

"GET OFF MY FACE!" Havuus yelled as thrust his hand through Kedo's chest and ripped one of the elite's hearts right out.

" **FATHER, NO!"** She yelled out to him.

Kedo spat a huge amount of his blood out of his mouth but continued to try and dig his energy dagger even further down Havuus' eye despite having his own heart torn out.

"WHY WON'T YOU DIE!" the Brute Chieftain yelled as he struggled to keep the elite from tearing further deeper into his head.

The Chieftain's bodyguards were about to do something until Flood began storming into the area. The brute Stalkers were immediately overrun and infected by the Flood as they started swarming all over the area.

" **Avenge our families honor, Dena. Don't let it become disgraced from what Covenant has used us for generations. For our family…"** He says as he slowly dies off until the Flood swarmed over his begged softly as he continued to try and tear through the Brute's eye socket as they were both soon overrun with infected flood.

Having no choice and seeing Flood taking their attention to her. She close the shuttle of the Phantom and launched it out into space, finally away from High Charity.

When the Phantom was safe enough distance from all the chaos as she watched the city that was her home for sometime. She began tearing up in her eyes thinking of her father dying before her eyes. She laid back to a nearby wall after putting the Phantom on auto pilot. Sinking onto the ground and bringing her knees close to her chin for her arms to hold her legs. She couldn't hold it anymore, she started crying hard after the lost of her father and knowledge that her and her entire family for almost several generations were used dishonorably without them even knowing it. That everything they fought, killed, and died for was all nothing but a lie.

* * *

 **Present Day…**

 **December 10, 2558 A.D…**

 **Order of Freedom…**

Dena awoke at a sudden feel of warmth as well as cold hit her body. She slowly awoke with a blurry vision and an uneasy stomach. She tried taking a step but found that she collapsed onto the ground, breathing hard and feeling like vomiting anytime soon.

"Guten Morgen Ms. Dena." she heard the strange sounding Spartan medic walk up to her, still in only his full body covering medical outfit. He kneeled down and wrapped a large towel around her to keep her warm as well as to cover her since she was but nacked nude without clothes on.

When she realized she was once again not in her clothes her face blushed as she felt warm but only for a split second before she had to vomit. The doctor held a bag under her for her to puke in.

"That would be Cyro sickness. It's a common side effect for all organisms. It should wear off in just a day or two. In the meantime I suggest you get some clothes on before reporting to your new squad for checks up." Johann stated.

"Yes and thank you, doctor." She says as she vomits again into bag.

In the meantime as everyone on board the station were coming out of cryo sleep. Oracle Team had already just woken up and were just dressed in their undergarments in the cafeteria room trying to regain control of their shaky and sick feeling bodies.

"God, I still got that chilly feeling." Hogan says as his hand was still shaking with a fork in his hand.

"Don't worry, I'll keep you warm." Lex said jokingly as he gave him a brother-like hug.

"Uh… that's okay. I'm good." Hogan said frighteningly.

The team laughed at him and continued on eating their meals.

"Hey White ever been mistaken for a man?" Jared joked.

"No have you bulldozer?" White asked.

Jared laughed and pulled out a knife. "I for something that'll get the blood flowing back in us. " Five Finger Fillet, who's up for it?"

The group suddenly see Joseph enter which to their great surprise was still in his Spartan armor and appeared to have chose to have himself frozen the entire trip in his Spartan Armor.

"I swear that dude has to be a robot or something I mean only Master Chief has the balls to endure the bad side effects of sleeping in Cyro with your armor on." Hogan mentioned.

"Hey Joseph want to give the game a try?" Jared asked.

Joseph just looked at the group and just grabbed an apple.

"Wait you're just gonna eat an apple?" White asked.

Joseph did not respond.

"Maybe it's to keep Ladia away." Jared says as he laughs at his own doctor joke but nobody was impressed.

He felt a slap on the head when he realized Ladia was behind him the very moment he told that joke. Like everyone she was just in her undergarments.

"Next time you wash your armor after you get it all muddy." She told him as she went to go grab her own breakfast.

The team just chuckled at him while Jared just pouted as they continued laughing at him. He quickly froze when he felt Joseph padding him on the back showing something that the team has never seen before. His compassion.

"Hey Joseph. Let's play a little game." Hogan said as he pulled his knife out.

Joseph shaked his head no as Jared encouraged him to do it but finally gives in to play the game. Joseph takes the knife and checked if it was sharp enough to be a good game but sees that it wasn't good enough. So instead he pulled his own specialty military graded knife as Hogan puts his hand down on the table and his fingers out for the knife. Jared joins in holding him down and his hand so he can't back out of the game as Joseph does the same to be sure.

"Hey come on Jared. Quit messing around man." Hogan begged.

"Do it, Joseph." Jared encouraged.

"Why me?" Hogan Begged.

"Yeah you. You volunteered so don't move." Jared warned.

Joseph looked at Hogan giving him nod as a sign to trust him. Joseph began going at a slow pace stabbing back and forth between Hogan's fingers, moving the knife back and forth, trying to not hit his fingers. He began a long scream seeing Joseph going at a faster pace still not hitting his fingers as the team watched in amazement seeing how agile and fast he was without breaking a sweat. Joseph stopped back at his thumb ending the game as Hogan stopped screaming while the team laughed at him.

"Alright Joseph. That's enough." Lex says.

Joseph twirls his knife, draws it back into his holster and walks off with his apple. Jared puts his breakfast back on his table and patted Hogan on the shoulder.

"That ain't funny man." Hogan says.

In the meantime, Johann was having Dena standing straight with her arms extended. She still didn't feel comfortable with the Doctor inspecting her but at least she was allowed to wear a cover her top and bottoms. Also he was mainly inspecting the areas where she had surgery at and was most damaged. He took notes on a holographic board after each close inspection.

"Heckins give me a x-ray of her skeletal structure." Johann requested.

"Sure thing. Scanning now." Jenkins answers as he begins scanning Dena's skeleton. Eventually showing a hologram of her skeleton with the areas where her recovering bones were marked red. Johann looked studied the skeleton quite seriously and kept writing notes down.

"You can put a robe on now miss if you want." he mentions not taking his eyes from the hologram of her skeleton.

"Of course doctor." Dena answered as she slips on her robe.

"Heckins would you kindly pull up her x-ray from when we first found her in her broken state." he requests once more.

"Yes doctor."

Heckins pulls up Dena's x-ray from how her body look before she was patched up and fixed.

Johann looked at the older x-ray taking notes as usual and comparing differences between the holograms. Dena sat down and rubbed her ankles feeling some stiffness and sore.

"As you can see miss 'Veryanee." Johann started as he pointed to the hologram on the left. "This hologram on the left is what your body looked when we found you after the crashed incident. You suffered multiple shattered fractures on several key areas of your body, especially your leg which was the most critical of your injuries."

Johann points to the hologram on the right. "This one as you can guess is how much your body has been repaired thanks to our help." He taps a button to zoom in on the red areas that represented her fixed broken bones. "However like I have mentioned your bones have been repaired for you to be able to at least walk and move some more with less discomfort. However from my inspection they are still trying to harden on their own. As such they are, quite fragile and brittle at this stage." he turns back around to face her.

"How long will it be before they harden enough for me to return to the field?" she requested.

"Two maybe three weeks, four at best. That's my expectation." he told her while setting the hologram noteboard down on the table close by.

"Very well then doctor and thank you for your help. Am I at least able to walk?" Dena asks.

"Of course, in fact it's recommended for you to start your physical therapy soon to help your body get back used to it's old self while your bones take the time to harden. However I do recommend caution because they can and will break very easily if extreme caution is not taken." he told her.

"Of course doctor but won't I need any braces to support my leg?" she asks.

"Why yes indeed Fräulein thank you for reminding me." he motioned for his nurses to go get the brace for him.

The nurse comes back with the adapting leg brace and Johann began attaching it around her leg. Dena felt a little pain from the sudden movements and shifting around for adjustments to her leg until Johann adjusted it right to her fitting.

"Da gehen wir. How does that feel?" he asked finishing up.

"It feels quite nice doctor. Thank you." Dena answered as she smiled slightly.

"You are quite welcome Fräulein. If I may ask. Usually Elites despise doctors and medical staff. I'm surprised you haven't beaten me within an inch of my life or made serious threats or my personal favorite the death glare. So why so nice on doctors?" he asked.

"Well...just between you and me...I don't have any honor left. The honor that I thought I had was a lie the Covenant used on my family to their own cruel uses. Until I have my family's honor restored, I don't think it's going to make much difference if I lose blood from on the field or from the knives of surgeons." she answered. "Also I really didn't have much of a choice but you have been careful from what I have been told." she noded and tried standing.

"I see. Well, I suggest you go explore, do what you can to start moving around as much as you can. But please for the love of God, try not to break anything…" he mentioned as he took a seat.

"Of course doctor." she smiled and gently made her way out of the room.

Meanwhile Oracle Team arrived at their barracks and were getting dressed in their normal military outfits.

"Did you guys not see how he handled that knife. I'm telling you Joseph is not human he's not spartan he's something else." Hogan was commenting while putting on his camouflage pants.

"I think he's a robot or something." White commented while putting on a grey military tank top.

Jared and Lex gave a good laugh as they also put on their tank tops. "I guess he really is a robot. Maybe he's one of those A.I. robots that wanna take over the galaxy." Jared answers jokingly.

"You know Jared it can happen. All it takes is one messed up A.I. to go haywire and boom we're all of a sudden in a war with machines. Like aliens weren't bad enough to fight against in a war but machines. Just look how badass Joseph is." Hogan commented.

"If he's a robot then why did he come and pick up an apple to eat?" Lex asked getting his pants on.

"To stick up his ass for shits and giggles I don't know. For all we know he's an A.I. or robot sent by ONI to spy on us and acts normal to blend in." Hogan reasoned.

Lex shakes his head and chuckles a bit as he puts on and ties his military boots just about when everybody had finished up.

"Well onto another subject other than crazy conspiracies Jared. So Lex, on a different note. Ladia sure has been very nice to you hasn't she?" White asked.

"Yes, I have noticed that recently." Hogan answered.

"Recently? Dude she's been having a thing for him for two years now how can you not know until now?" Jared asked.

"I'm sure she's just being nice that's all." Lex shrugged as they exited the barracks.

"You sure about that, Lex? I mean she's been very kind repairing your armor and getting you a new one as well. Maybe she has something for you." White jokes while suggesting at the same time.

"Guys it's nothing really, she's just that nice of a person." Lex mentions.

"Bullshit she always jumps on us when we come in with our armors all messed up yet never seems to jump on you as harshly as she does with us. And you always get yours in worse shape than ours." Jared comments.

"I find that as a hint of more than just being a nice person." Hogan added.

"Yeah maybe because she likes him." White mentions.

"Guys let's drop this I rather go back to Hogan's bizarre conspiracy on how Joseph can be a robot in disguise. Now come on we got to go check up on Dena and see if she's doing okay." Lex mentions.

The group stopped for a moment, causing Lex to stop and look at them. "What?"

"Is it me or does our faithful leader have a thing for the elite girl?" Hogan asked curiously.

"Well, you got to admit Hogan, she does have a fine booty on her with nice pair of tits to go with it." Jared comments.

"Well Lex always had a thing for...big...on women." White mentions with a smirk.

"That's has nothing to do with her. She's a valid, respected and honorable teammate we've had so far." Lex answers.

"We know, we know but hey that doesn't mean you can't still fall for her." Jared mentions.

"You all don't know crap." Lex answers.

"And now he's getting defensive." White comments.

"You know if you play your cards right maybe you, Ladia, and Dena can have a threesome sir." Jared joked.

Lex gets irritated as he smacks Jared upside the head hard enough to make him rub his head in pain.

"What I wasn't disrespecting Dena or anything. I'm just saying it wouldn't be bad to give it a try." he answered while rubbing his head.

Lex got even more irritated and smacked him harder than before in the same spot to cause a small bruise. "Ow!"

"I got more for you. You got something else for me?" Lex asks.

"Lex, take it easy on him he meant no disrespect both girls seem nice that's all." White mentions.

"Not you too, White." Lex looks to White.

"Sir even I think maybe just give it a try. I mean you wouldn't be the first one who got together with a female elite. Remember Specter?" Hogan mentions.

"Yes I am very well aware of the story of Specter. The Former ODST turned Spartan who served and escape from New Mombasa with the help from a female elite and somehow with the odd violation of organics, knocked her up and currently is number one on ONI's most wanted list." Lex said.

"Yeah but I'm just saying, if you choose to sleep with her no one will think you're odd sir. She is pretty cute in her own way. And this is coming from a guy who still has trust issues with Sangheili." Hogan mentions.

"You still don't trust them?" Lex asks.

Hogan sighs and rubs his face. "Sir we've already been down that road I was just saying that maybe it wouldn't be that bad for you to maybe hook up with her that's all."

Everyone looked at Hogan.

"Damn Hogan, that's must've been hard to say…" Lex asked looking concerned now from Jared sudden change of character.

"Sir I still have issues with elites okay. But it's just there are more important things going on at the moment. Besides Brutes piss me off more." Hogan answers.

"I see your point now but not a word out of any of you. Got it?" Lex asks.

"Yes sir…" they all said in agreement.

"Good, now let's go check on Dena to see if she's okay." Lex says as he motions them to follow him.

Meanwhile, Dena was carefully walking around the ship just exploring a little and to get a little exercise in her bones and such after all she has been through. Unknowingly making her way to the captain's quarters. There she bumped into Alex who was like everyone else dressed in simple marine clothes and working on a computer while drinking coffee. He noticed her before she even realized where she was at.

"Morning ms. Dena, I take the doc was nice with you." he asked while still working on the computer.

"Oh my apologies captain Alex I'm just...exploring the ship a little as Johann recommended."

"I can imagine, after all this is the first time you've gotten the chance since coming aboard." he mentioned while still working on the computer.

"Um sir, if I may ask. Are you part of the same Spartans that came from Reach Like Lex is?"

"Well not entirely but I am his superior officer who watches over his team. That's what I am least." He answers.

"I thought Spartans were the highest rank of the human military. If Lex was a Spartan long before you were how did you become his superior?" she asked curiously while taking a seat to relax from the strain her bones were giving her.

"Let's just say I pulled a few strings and kissed a few asses to get where I am today." Alex smiled a bit.

"Oh...I'm sorry."

He chuckled a little and turned around in his chair to her. "Ever had coffee miss?"

"Coffee, what is coffee?"

"Coffee is a little something for us humans to keep our energy up during overtime. Don't you Sangheili's have something like that?" He asks as he takes a sip of his coffee.

"Um I think we do though I do not believe it is in the form of something to drink out of." she answered.

"Well shit, go on over to the coffee machine over there and get yourself a cup of some." he requested.

Dena softly nod and gently stood back up which did make her cringe in pain some because of her bones hurting. She carefully walked over to the coffee machine close by, inspecting in curiosity. She pressed one random button which all of a sudden made it start pouring coffee already. She panicked a little and quickly placed a cup underneath, filling it up quickly. When it was full and she didn't know how to stop it she kept on using other cups to keep it from pouring all over. Eventually finding herself with six full cups of coffee.

"Um...is that how you humans usually...get this coffee?" she asked while trying to hold six cups of coffee.

Alex laughed at the site in front of him. "No miss but at least you got yourself a couple of cups full. Should keep you active quite a long while that is if you can drink that much…" he joked.

"Very well then." She says as she puts down the rest and takes one sip of her coffee, quickly finding out it taste being very bland. "How can you humans drink this? It barely has flavor." Dena comments.

"Well miss that's why people add sugar and cream to it. Me on the other hand I like mine black as it's called or no flavor, just pure natural raw original taste." he joked and took a sip.

She looked at him questionably, wondering why and how he can drink such stuff. "Is this a Spartan thing?"

"Hell no miss, I've always liked mine black, keeps me awake longer then adding taste to it. After all it's my job most of the time to stay awake longer than the people that serve under me. You were a high ranking officer in your military once, how did you keep yourself awake longer than the people who served under you?"

"Excessive training is what kept me focus or how you would say 'keeps my head out of the clouds' sir."

"That works too but it can tire you out allot faster. With this, you can do just that without having to tire yourself out."

"I guess…"

Around that time, Lex, White, Jared, and Hogan soon entered the the room.

"Ah there you are ya lazy ass ends, over sleeping are we?" Alex asked.

"No sir we're not over sleeping we just woke up just like everyone else sir." White groaned.

"Well I was having a nice little chat with our elite friend here. Giving her a life lesson on the glories of coffee, Hell she even accidently made you all some. So best thank her for the effort." he pointed out.

The group turned to Dena in the room who softly smiled nervously.

"Well why the hell not." Jared grabbed a cup and took a sip before spitting it out. "Shit man this is flavored black!"

"Then add some sugar or something. Jesus Jared." Hogan spoke as he grabbed himself a cup and just drunk the whole thing within seconds. Surprising everyone except Alex at how he drunk a pure black flavor cup of coffee.

"Yeah whatever." Jared says he grabs a pack of sugar, opens it, pours it into his coffee and stirs it to mix it in.

"What, I drink mine black too. Keeps me focus on my sniper shooting." Hogan spoke as he threw his cup in the trash and patted Dena on the shoulder. "Thanks for the cup miss."

"Your welcome, Hogan." She blushed a little feeling flattered.

As Hogan turned to leave the room he saw Joseph enter the room, appearing out of nowhere. By this point it wasn't much of a surprise since they were used to his enigmatic mystery. Joseph grabbed his cup of coffee, bowed his head in thanks to Dena, and walked out of the room without a word as always.

"I swear one of these days we're gonna have to do some recon on him and see what the heck is so damn mysterious about him." White mentioned.

"Ha if you think that's strange you should see his file. It's all classified, every word, even his gender is being classified for reason I don't know but the only thing that's not classified is his name." Alex mentions while taking another sip of coffee. "Alright ladies I like my peace and quiet time when I can get it. So grab your cups of coffee and get out please."

"Sir yes sir." Jared, Lex and White said as they grabbed their cups and exited the room while Dena did the same.

Lex took notice of Dena having some trouble moving because of how weak her bones felt. "Hey guys i'm gonna stay with Dena here, you guys go on ahead without me."

"Yes sir." they agreed and left on ahead.

Lex carefully walked over to Dena and helped her into a room where she can have a seat at a table and rest.

"Thank you, Lex. I felt like I was going to collapse." Dena thanks.

"Hey no problem." He smiled at her but took notice that she didn't like the coffee very much. "Not a fan of black coffee huh?" He asks.

"No, I barely could taste anything in that. I wish it wasn't so bland." She answered with a broken smile.

"Well I got something that can fix that." Lex says he got up and walked out of the room for a moment.

Dena looked very confused of why he left the room and in seconds he comes back with two small packs of sugar and two spoons. One for Dena and one for himself as he opens one, pours it into her coffee and stirs it in. Dena tilts her head watching him do this as Lex does the same to his coffee then takes a sip of it.

"Sugar always makes everything taste better. Go ahead try it." Lex encourages her to do so.

Dena looked a little nervous but then takes a tiny sip of the coffee and realizes that now it's more flavorful than it ever was before. She then takes another sip of the coffee as she now very much likes coffee. "Lex, it's… delicious. I've never drank something this great before." Dena says with energy.

"Well that's the power of sugar, Dena." Lex smiled and chuckled.

Dena chugs down the rest of her coffee leaving nothing in her cup. "I am fully energized now."

"I can see that. Come on, let's go take some of that energy off of you." Lex suggests to her.

"Okay then." Dena answers.

Lex finishes his coffee off and tosses it in the trash. He helps Dena up gently as she blushed heavily and walked her out of the room to continue exploring the ship while helping her with her physical therapy.


	12. Rogue One

"Alright Hogan get up…" Lex motioned over to Hogan and helped him up from the floor of combat arena.

Oracle Team were all in their respective Spartan suits, each member trying to see if they can beat Joseph in a CQC match. So far both Jared and Hogan had been beaten by Joseph who stood untouched and and appearing to not have broken a sweat.

"Damn Hogan he kicked your ass hard." Jared tried joking as he laid an ice pack on his head while he had his helmet off.

"I see plenty of bruises and sore on your fat asss Jared." Hogan sighed as he took his helmet off and sighed in relief.

"Well White, your next, think you can handle the so far undefeated CQC spartan?" Lex asked.

"Considering how long I've been fighting you boss. I say I can take him." White answers as she walks onto the floor and gets into her fighting stance.

Joseph didn't really move from his position or even look towards White. He just stood silently still from where he was at, almost like a statue. White charges at Joseph following up with a leap into the air as she tries to kick him in the face but counters it by grabbing White's leg, twirls around with her and throws across the floor.

"Holy shit…" Hogan says shockingly.

White was able to land on her feet and quickly prepared herself for a frontal assault from Joseph. However when Joseph got close to her, he slides under her and trips his opponent with a leg scissor takedown. Later doing a spin up, where he lifts himself from a lying position to a standing position by using the momentum generated with a circular leg movement in conjunction with his torso twisting, weight shifting to the upper body and the push off the ground with his hands, thus achieving elevation of the entire body.

White stared in disbelief before she jumped back to her feet. From there she quickly moves forward with a swift hook punch that Joseph easily blocks though White was expecting him to do that. Once Joseph blocked the attack, White makes sure to grab hold of wrist and attempts to place a wrist lock on him.

Joseph however spins around forcing White to release to him and adds a kick into her face pushing her back. He next dashes into her then throwing a few punches into her stomach with a knee to her in the stomach and lastly elbowed her in the back, knocking her down onto the ground. Before White could stand back up, Joseph finishes her with a twirling jump back flip axe kick to her back to finish her in the match.

"Wow and I thought White would have beaten him." Hogan commented.

Joseph gently helps White up and helps her sit down on a nearby chair. White merely took her helmet off and started breathing hard from intense bruises all over her, pain, and exhaustion.

"Damn he's good…" she groaned.

"Yeah, I'm sure he knows that you are a formidable opponent." Lex answered as he approached her.

"Yeah I lasted only a minute longer than the others, let's see you try mr. badass…" she groaned.

"Alright I will." Lex answers, putting his helmet on and getting into the combat arena with Joseph.

"I'm gonna go to the shooting range for a bit, have fun getting your ass kicked sir." Hogan answers putting his helmet on and walking off.

In the meantime, Dena was at the shooting range, struggling to hold DMR. Her bones still felt weak and her muscled hurt like hell. Usually she would be able to handle most weapons but now here she is, struggling to hold one of the humans' weapons, a DMR if she remembers what they were called.

Struggling, she slowly lifted the rifle into position to try and take aim. Even pulling the trigger and holding it was becoming a challenge to her. With as much strength she could muster, she finally pulled the trigger. The recoil sent her hitting the ground hard as she almost shot herself.

Hogan eventually came in to see Dena lying on the floor and struggling to get up. "What are you doing?" he asked sounding annoyed.

"Oh hello Hogan. I'm trying to keep my blood flowing like the doctor informed me to. I thought of doing this instead." Dena answers as she groans a little while slowly getting back up.

"And he also said your not suppose to be handling weapons until after you were done with your physical therapy which judging from you laying on the floor from a gunshot I just heard, your not really suppose to be handling that at this moment aren't you?' he asked while crossing his arms.

"No… but this is my physical therapy. I didn't ask for your pity, Hogan." She continues taking shots but nearly good. For each shot she keeps on missing and almost losing her balance with the recoil.

"Whose says I'm pitying you. And that's not how you hold that. Come on you're gonna shoot an eye out with that thing." he lectured as he walked over to her and helped her hold the DMR properly.

"Very well then. Show me the way." Dena says.

He gently held her arms and hands alongside the rifle to help her hold and aim it in proper position. "My dad use to always say aim with both eyes. So keep both eyes open, focus your vision on the target, aim at your desired spot, and let a relaxing breath as you pull the trigger." he lectured.

"You do know I was a General right? I've handled your human weapons well just as I did with mine." Dena answered.

"Yeah and that's probably the reason why you're a lousy shot. You've been through hell and worst with intense surgery to try and recover from that. So you need to re-learn your previous skills, so I'm teaching you how I make accurate shots as the team's sniper." He lectured and help her stand steady and balanced as he helped her squeeze the trigger of the gun to make the shot.

To her shock and disbelief, she was able to make a bullseye shot, using the technique Hogan had just told her. Something she had never accomplished even during her time as a general in the Covenant.

"See, now you won't be able to get it perfect next few times since I was just helping you. And it took me twenty five years to master that, but keep doing what I just showed you and you'll be shooting fish through a barrel from across the field." he answered before letting her go.

"Thank you, Hogan. Why did you help me? Lex told me of your… history with the Covenant." She asks hesitantly.

Hogan didn't respond at least at first as he took a pistol and started making several headshots with the hologram targets.

"That's just like him to snitch on me. Well one you looked like me when I was five years old and my dad was first teaching me how to shoot properly and I figured I may die at any point soon. So if I have to kiss the grave, I want to at least keep my family's shooting lessons alive." he answered before holstering his pistol and started walking off. "Though I'm not sure if I'm dishonoring his memory by teaching our family's sharpshooting skills to an elite. But then again I hate brutes more than I hate Elites."

He stopped for a moment and briefly looked towards her over his right shoulder. "As much as I hate to admit it, you're part of the team now and if you fall apart we all do. And I expect you to be using my sharpshooting trick to cover our asses if shit hits the fan." he lectured one last time before leaving her alone in the room.

"You're not the only one who has traditions with your father." She mumbled to herself and continued practicing. Though not as perfect as the last shot since she didn't have his help, though at least she was able to maintain her balance and hold on the weapon.

Hogan walked back to the combat arena, only to see Lex laying on the ground in pain as Joseph sits on his back in a meditating position. Jared was laughing his ass off while White looked completely shocked.

"What the hell happened?" Hogan asked.

"Lex got his ass kicked I mean he got his ass kicked bad…" Jared laughed.

White just remained silent completely shock at what she had witness.

When Hogan walked over to Lex who was face down lying on his chest with Joseph still sitting on his back. He mumbled through his helmet. "Not a damn word rookie…"

The Order of Freedom finally arrives at the planet Oban but until Covenant ships came out of their cloaking as one Covenant Assault Carrier Capital Ship appeared. The ship's alarm system immediately go off as Seraph space fighters opened fired at the ship..

"Alert, Covenant Warships up ahead. Alert all personnel to stations for approaching conflict. This is not a drill, repeat this is not a drill." Heckins warned everyone on the ship through the mic.

"Well now. It seems we'll get more action now. Oracle move out!" Lex ordered as motioned his team out of the arena.

Joseph quickly jumped off Lex to allow him to get up. The group quickly made their way out of the combat arena to rush down the hall towards their destination posts.

"Lex, this is Commander Alex. I need Hogan and Jared to take a Sabre outside and help the others to clear any enemy ships coming at us. Meanwhile I need you, Joseph, and White to hold positions at the main guns and keep them from coming in." He ordered over their mic.

"Move out, Oracle." Lex says as he, Joseph and White headed over to the main guns while Hogan and Jared went for the hanger to the Sabre.

Dena overheard the situation going on through the mic at the target practice room. She saw Johann and Ladia come in with Johann in his Spartan suit.

"Ms. Dena I'm going to need you to come with me to a safer place your body is not ready for on field combat." Johann spoke.

"Very well doctor." She answered and went with Johann and Ladia. Though Ladia had to help her by letting her drape an arm over her shoulder.

"Goodness I didn't know you guys weighed so much…" she groaned trying to help Dena rush and follow Johann.

"I feel insulted now." She answered as they made their way to a safer place in the med bay.

"Sorry, it's just I'm used to hauling oracle's Spartan armor around I would think I would be used to…this by now…" she groaned trying to help her friend keep up with the Spartan medic.

Jared and Hogan arrived at the Hangar bay and entered inside the saber jet. Hogan taking the pilot seat while Jared takes co-pilot seat. Jared begins activating and flipping a few switches on the console around him as the jet's engines begins powering up. The jet begins to hover along with other four jets around them and more as they hovered out of the hangar in order formation, fired up their engines and took off from the ship.

"This is Spartan Hogan and Jared onboard a YS-1000 Sabre in the territory of the capital ship. All freedom fighters roll call." Hogan announced on the com.

"Freedom two standing by." Pilot two answers.

"Freedom four sanding by." Pilot four answers.

"Freedom five stand by." Pilot one answers.

"Freedom three standing by." Pilot three lastly answered.

"All Freedom fighters accounted for. Stay in formation and wait on my command." Hogan ordered as readies his Sabre's weapons.

"I got your sick Hogan, just don't crash on us otherwise I'm gonna beat your ass with a stick in Heaven if we die." Jared threatened.

"Yeah yeah." Hogan answered. He then spots a wave of Covenant Seraph's coming their way and turns back on the com. "Commander Alex, we've spotted a wave of Seraph's heading our way. We're preparing to engage now."

"Understood, fire at will." Alex confirmed over the com.

"Yes sir." Hogan turns his com to the jet fighters. "Alright Commander Alex says green light. Light em boys! Let god be your shield! Open fire!" Hogan ordered as he and the other jets opened fire on them.

The Seraph's returned fire on them as the jets scattered and it became a large space battle between the Covenant and the UNSC. Hogan was right behind of a Seraph and opened fired with his machine gun tearing down its shields until they depleted and finally shot two homing rockets at the Seraph and blew the ship into pieces.

"Fucking A!" Hogan hooted.

"Don't get cocky now. We've got more company." Jared pointed out as he opened fired from the secondary machine guns on the Seraph.

"Oh you're one to talk that one time you got your ass handed to you by Joseph." He lectured as he shot down another Seraph with machine guns.

"Damn gotta give you that one."

In the meantime, Lex, White, and Joseph arrived at the main guns of the station and took their positions. A few Seraph's begin appearing on radar as Lex and the rest began locking onto the ships.

"Ready to open fire." White informs.

"Not until they get in range. If we shoot now they'll scatter making it harder to take them out." Lex answers. The Seraphs began getting into range with the cannons and began locking onto them. "Open fire!" Lex commanded.

They begin open firing on the Seraphs as one by one get's destroyed from each shot they make. White takes a shot at one fleeing Seraph but she takes the shot blowing it into pieces. "I hate it when they run. No honor." White mumbles to herself as she continues.

"Lex, we got Covenant drop pods dropping in right in your sector. Take out those pods before they hit us hard or they'll be swarming the ship." Heckins warns.

"You heard, Heckins. Take out those pods or were having a swarm ant covenant. Jared, Hogan I need you to see if you can soften up those pods so we can get one shot one kill for each of them. If you can't slow them down for us." Lex ordered.

"You got it, Lex. All Freedom Fighters get information and follow me. We're gonna soften those pods up." Hogan orders as the Sabres take formation and followed him to the first wave of the pods.

The fighters spot the first three covenant pods as the fighters begin moving in closer and target lock on's to the pods. "Weapons free!" Jared ordered as all of the Sabres drawn out their rockets and shot two each.

The rockets hit the pods only making hull damage to them following by more rockets creating enough damage to destroy with one more shot. Joseph spots the first damaged pod as he takes good aim at the pod, fires one shot at it as it went through the pod and imploded from the inside destroying it. Joseph gave a thumb up to Lex signaling that's one down and two more to go.

"Alright nice shot, Joseph. Let's get the next pods." Lex ordered.

Lex, White and Joseph continue shooting down any nearby Banshee's and Seraphs nearby until the next pods arrive.

Meanwhile back with Jared, Hogan and the Freedom Fighters turrets on the pods begin opening fire on the team as they dodge the blasts as they could. "Alright we're gonna surround and conquer. Freedom two and four you'll take the left, three and five take the right we're going above. Split!" Hogan ordered as the Fighters split and went to their designated places. "Fire!" He ordered.

The Fighters began opening fire from all different sides shooting rockets onto the sides of the pod while Hogan drops the bombs on top of the pod damaging it enough. "It's all your's now, Lex!" Jared answered to Lex.

"Thanks." Lex takes aim at the damaged pod, fires at the pod and destroys the pod while destroying other Seraphs within the explosion range.

"Nice brother. Now to take care of the last… pod?" White asks.

"What's wrong, White?" Lex asks.

"The Pod. I'm not detecting it. It's like it disappeared." White answers.

"Yeah I'm not seeing it either… Oh crap!" Hogan spoke on the comms.

"What is it now?" Lex asks.

"The pod is within range. It's gonna hit the ship now!" Jared warns.

Without them knowing the pod decloaks itself as it heads for the ship faster until it made a large impact on the ship making everyone fall to the ground. The alarm blares as UNSC soldiers get deployed for battle making their way towards the docking bay.

Strangely, this pod departed from typical Covenant aesthetic and had more of a grey color with crimson lights appearing, following a strange symbol on it that showed it was no Covenant or Forerunner. When they noticed the symbol, one marine comments it was the symbol of the Banished, a mercenary organization and splinter faction of the former Covenant Empire that rose to power after the conclusion of the Human-Covenant War.

When the pod began to open up, the marines loaded and readied their weapons for whatever was to come out. Suddenly to their surprise, an actual human made grenade was thrown out of the pod to explode in a huge smoke that blinded all the marines. Just long enough for gunshots from a human weapons to be heard shooting all the marine soldiers dead.

When the smoke finally cleared, the figure from the pod took Lex and the others by surprise. It was another Spartan wearing full set of the Grey GEN2 Rogue armour with the signature crimson colour of the Banished for markings and accents and a Crimson Visor. The crimson emblem of the Banished is located on it's upper-right chest. He was equipped with an Assault Rifle with colors of the Banished adorn on it.

"What the hell? What the hell is another Spartan here? There's no other Spartans here other than my team or our commander." Lex thought to himself.

The Rogue Spartan noticed Lex and his team and started open firing on them. Forcing Lex, White, and Joseph to take cover.

"Who the hell is this guy?" White asked.

"I don't know you tell me. Joseph know this guy?" Lex asked.

Joseph only shrugged in confusion.

"Commander this is Lex we have a Rogue Spartan inbound repeat we have a Rogue Spartan in bound?"

"What the hell do you mean a Rogue Spartan Lex?" Alex demanded over the com link.

"I don't know. You tell me!" Lex draws his Battle Rifle and opened fire on the Rogue Spartan..

"Then give me some damn visual son!" Alex shouted.

The Rogue Spartan used one of the bodies of the dead marines as a human shield as he pulled out a grenade and throws it over at Lex and White's cover.

"Shit! Grenade!" White yelled.

Joseph quickly leaped into action and does a spin spin butterfly kick to kick the graveside perfectly back towards the Rogue Spartan. The Rogue Spartan however tossed the corpse he was carrying aside to pull out his pistol to accurately shoot the grenade mid way in the air. Destroying and preventing it from closing in on him.

"Oh my God, It's Raylen…" Lex and White heard Alex speak over their coms.

"Who now? Who the hell is Raylen?" Lex asks curiously.

"All personal this is Commander Alex we have a code red, repeat, Raylen is on board the Order Freedom repeat Raylen is on board the…" Alex spoke through all channels before the Rogue Spartan revealed to be Raylen shoots down the mics from across the room.

Thanks to the distraction the Spartan caused, more Pods belonging to the Banished mercenary group drop down and uncloak. Several Banished Grunts, Jackals, Brutes, and a few Hunters exit and began open firing at Lex and his team, giving Raylen cover fire. Among them was a Skirmisher in grey and crimson Skirmisher Champion armor with a jetpack along with the Banished symbol on the upper-right of his chest plate.

"See what you can do about the Elite General on board. I'm going to have Siva dig into the archives Zek." Raylen told the Skirmisher now revealed as Zek.

"Consider it done…" Zek answered before cloaking and disappearing from sight. All the while Raylen walked away while leaving Lex and his team to deal with the on slot of Banished Mercenary soldiers firing at them along with normal Covenant reinforcements entering.


	13. Attack on Freedom

Dena along with Ladia and other unarmed personnel who were unable to fight stayed in the med labs. They were all still equipped with weapons and were ready to fight should any enemies entered. Luckily Johann the only Spartan in the lab with them was fully armored into his Spartan armor closeby. Since Commander Alex announced over the vid comes a man named Raylen was on board the medical Spartan was all of a sudden, tensed, more serious. He spoke not a word but she could read by his body language that he knew this Raylen and not in a good way.

"So Dena, know who this Raylen guy is?" she heard Ladia asked as she loaded a pistol.

"No, I have never heard of one with this name. The Spartan Johann appears to know him but has been quiet since the announcement."

"Listen up people. This situation just got a lot more worse. Rylan is a Rogue Spartan who defected to the Covenant and is claimed to be extremely dangerous. So be cautious if you spot him. As chief medical officer on this ship you are to hold here until I say other wise. Do not hesitate to shoot the enemy should they come in…" Johann spoke.

"Johann, you seem to know who this Rogue Spartan is." Dena answered.

Johann did not answer except kept his gun focused on the only door that lead into the med bay. He spotted movement on his radar indicating only one enemy was approaching their way.

"Halten!" he ordered.

The growing tension was making everyone in the room nervous. Even Dena herself was becoming nervous. Her body was not yet ready for combat and doing what she was about to do could risk ruining her body permanently or worse. Not only that, if a Spartan had defected to the Covenant then there was little to no chance she could hold her own against this one or the others in the room could.

Then there was silence on the radar, the apparent enemy target just stopped moving. Yet long enough to suddenly surprise them with an explosion from the door caused by a plasma grenade.

The dust from the explosion blinded the normal humans long enough to be silently shot down by what appeared to be a shard from a needler of some sort. Johann as well as the rest in the room opened fired at the thick cloud of smoke, yet they only appeared to be firing at nothing.

Johann motioned for everyone to ceasefire to hold position. When he spotted movement in his radar he realized the figure was in the room with them.

"Verdammt! He's in the room t…" Johann was suddenly hit in the arm by a needle shot as the figure decloaked above them.

It was not the Rogue Spartan but Dena knew who this was. It was the Skirmisher Zek, a well known Mercenary who used to work for her during the battle of Reach. Out of all of the warriors and soldiers under her command at the time, he was most dangerous and clever of them all. For he had a unbeatable reputation of once he was hired to do something, he always got the job done.

"Zek...?" she asked in nervous fear.

"Hello general nice to see you again." he spoke before drawing a plasma pistol and started shooting at her.

He cloaked once more to move away from the upcoming fire aimed at him. Disappearing somewhere else in the room.

"Ficken, we have a Skirmisher in the room." Johann cursed, he taps his helmet. "Alex this is Johann we have a major issue in the med bay and re…." Something struck Johann in the back. Causing his armor to short circuit and render him immobilize.

Shortly afterwards, three holo-drones taking the appearance of Zek appear and start open firing on the medic staff. Dena wish she could help but she knew that she was in no condition to fight as the only thing she could do was drag Johann safely while limping away into a room away from the fight with Ladia's help.

Once they got inside Ladia locked the door and went to get straight to work on trying to repair Johann's armor

"Come to kill me, Zek?" She asks.

No answer.

"Dena, you know that Skirmisher?" Ladia asked.

"He used to work for me." she answered.

"Indeed." Zek decloaked from behind her and kicked Dena hard to the ground, follow by shooting Ladia's hands with his plasma pistol to keep her from attacking. "It's been a long time general."

"Yes it has, Zek. I was wondering when you would show up because I know it wouldn't take you this long to find me." She answered.

He chuckled. "Oh poor General Dena. It's sad in a way, your father was one of my favorite clients. Paid me good money under your command. Now I have a new client so let's get back to business. Where did you put your armor?"

"Why? Why would you care where my armor is?" She asks.

"Because according to my client you had precious information stolen and stored into your armor. And she would like to have that info back which means I'm going to count to ten and if I don't see that armor I start shooting random parts of your body until you do tell me. You must understand, it's like I've always told you. This war is not personal to me, it's just business."

Dena spots Ladia's pistol and slowly and gently crawls over to it. "Why take this one? You can be doing bigger and better things right then dealing with war issues." She asks curiously.

"Ma'am noticed anything about my uniform colors. I'm part of the Banished now. You remember them? The mercenary organization and splinter faction of the former Covenant Empire that rose to power after the conclusion of the Human-Covenant War. The organization led by the Brute warlord, Atriox that the Covenant never got close to defeating or capturing."

"Wait the Banished?"

"That's right, Atriox took this contract, I'm just following orders because the prize is well worth the trouble of coming."

Dena soon grabbed a hold of Ladia's pistol and take aims.

"You're getting sloppy." Zek spoke as a holo-drone of himself decloaks and holds a Needle Rifle at point rang to the right side of her head.

Unknown to them, Ladia carefully tries removing the armor restraint off of Johann's back, all the time trying to not cause any sounds to alert the Skirmisher of her actions.

"Holo-drones are one of my favorite tools to use. Remember?" Zek asked while he still had his plasma pistol aimed towards her while his holo-drone kept the needle rifle pointed at point black range.

"Yes I remembered that without them or anything. You're powerless without your toys."

"General, we both know what a pile of shit that is. After all I was one of the reasons why I got most of your victories that got you into the rank of general." he spoke before he started charging his plasma pistol. "Now where is your armor being kept?"

"If you're so damn smart then you go find it yourself." Dena answered using human sarcasm for her first time.

The merc only sighed and he readied his pistol. "If you insist."

To his surprise he saw Johann jump back to life and used his sidearm to shoot the holo-drone down before taking aim at the Skirmisher.

Zek quickly reacted and used his small point defense gauntlets on each forearm to block the shots. Dena took the opportunity to try and assist shooting Zek with Ladia's side arm. Seeing the circumstance he was in he lept up on the second floor of the med room while cloaking to escape.

With him gone, Johann quickly rushed over to Dena and Ladia. "Are you two alright?"

"My hands took some serious plasma burns but I'll be fine." Ladia answered as she and Johann tried to help Dena up.

"And you okay fraulein?"

"He kicked me hard in the ribs. I think they feel broken a little along with my tail bone…" she answered struggling to get up.

"I see, I'm radioing back up now…" Johann again taps on his helmet. "Commander Alex this is chief medical officer Johann we have casualties and serious injured in the med bay requesting assistance."

"Got it, I'll get Hogan and Jared down there to help." Alex answered through his mic.

* * *

Meanwhile back in the cargo hold, White, Lex, and Joseph were taking cover from the onslaught of a huge number of covenant forces open firing on them.

"Fuck there's too many of them!" Lex yelled as he returned fire.

"So what can we use? I'm out of grenades." White answers as she fired back.

"I'm out too but I'm almost out of ammo." Lex answers back as he took cover and reloads his last clip. "Anyone got any bright ideas?"

Joseph just shrugged. White on the other hand looked over towards the very far end of the hanger bay and saw the control room that operated the anger bay. "Well I got one but it's a very dumb one."

"Since when dumb ideas became bad ones? Let's hear it, White." Lex answered.

"Just this." White took aim with her DMR and with a very lucky and precise shot, she shot the button from way across on the other side of the hanger that controlled the airlock. As a result, the airlock opened and began sucking all the Covenant forces out into outer space. The only bad side the the plan was it also trying to suck them out along with the Covenant. Thankfully they had their magnetic boots to help them stay to the ground.

"Well that's one crazy idea." Lex spoke then chuckled a little.

"I just have a feeling Alex is gonna be pissed that some of our equipment is going along with them." White answered.

Joseph in the meantime took another accurate shot at the air lock button to close it.

"Oracle this is Alex, forget the Covenant we have a code Red with Raylen onboard with his A.I. Siva. Siva is a Forerunner made A.I. and Heckins is not built to to be able to resist her. If she gets into the system we're fucked. They'll know everything onboard the ship!" Alex wanred over their com.

"It was that Spartan in Rogue armor I saw before." Lex mentioned to himself quietly.

"Who's this Raylen guy and what do you mean a Forerunner made A.I?" White asked.

"Dammit just stop the son of a bitch before he get's to the main computer system on the fucking SHIP!" Alex literally yelled at them.

"I'll find the Rogue Spartan. You two stay here and secure this part of the ship." Lex ordered.

"Oracle delay that order and go with Lex on this. For Christ's sakes the Covenant is the least of our damn problems now!" Alex barked.

"Alright then. Oracle follow my lead." Lex ordered and the rest followed him.

Meanwhile, Dena, Johann, Ladia were making their way over to the science lab. Johann having to have Dena lean on him and help her walk as Ladia lead the way.

"So I take it you and Zek have a history?" Johann asked.

"For a mercenary he was the finest Skirmisher warrior under my command. The only downside was he favored money over loyalty. But my father was one of his personal favorite clients and under my father's pay, he was hired to be under my command. You could say he was one who helped me win most of my battles during my time as a General in the Covenant. Whenever I needed something done at all cost, he always got the job done, always." Dena answered.

"Seeing how he just kicked our butts a minute ago I can actually see why and how we lost some of the battles in the Human Covenant war." Ladia answered trying to tap in her security clearance code to enter the room containing Dena's armor.

"Yes and I don't know who he could be working for now and we can't let the information fall into his hands." Dena mentioned.

"Well from the uniform colors and symbol. He's working for the Banished as part their rag tag group. Which means the banished have been hired to snop their noses in here which means we're fucked. Especially if they have Raylen on their side." Johann commented.

Ladia punched in the final digits of her security code to open the door. Yet the moment she did a plasma grenade appeared from nowhere and landed close to them.

"Scheisse!" Was all Johann could speak before grabbing Ladia and turning her and Dena awaye for his shields to take the bulk of the blast. Yet the blast was powerful enough to send them flying across the room. Slamming them hard on the wall as the explosion caused parts of the roof to fall and bury them into rubble.

Zek soon decloaked from nowhere and walked right inside. "You never change General, always so predictable." Zek made his way into the room up to Dena's armor. Using a small device appearing forerunner, he started downloading all the information stored in it back into the device.

Due to her bones still being weak and fragile, Dena was heavily trapped under the rubble. She tried pushing some of it off her but to no success mostly do to her bones still being weak. Johann thankfully was able to dig through the rubble and try pulling them both out. Dena didn't look too badly hurt, a few scrapes, cuts, and bruises but nothing that would hurt her bones or risk breaking them at least to her knowledge. Ladia on the other hand had a bad broken arm that looked critical from plasma burns.

Yet by the time Johann was able to get them out, Zek had finished the download transfer and threw another armor restraint short-circuit his MJOLNIR armor systems and kept him immobilized.

"Pleasure doing business with you again General, I always enjoyed doing contracts with you. We should catch up and do some more later." Zek told before pushing a immobilized Johann to fall on both Dena and Ladia, rendering them unable to move because of the weight of his armor.

"Zek wait think about what you're doing! If you give this Forerunner back the information we won't be able to stop her! How will you be able to stop her if she decides to turn on you?!" Dena asked.

Zek only chuckled as he walked away. "General, it was me who gave you the victory on Reach that made you famous. So don't waste my time with questions I have already insured to deal with incase the mecha bitch does something she'll regret." he spoke one last time before re cloaking to disappear from them.

In the main computer system area of the ship, a hologram of Heckins appears as Alex in his Spartan armor arrives in the room. "Heckins listen to me, you have to keep Raylen out of the computer room. His A.I. Siva is forerunner and you won't be able to stop her once she gets inside the network."

"Then how can I fight an A.I. like this. I've never seen something like this before." Heckins answer honestly.

"Block all access points, activate turrets. Do whatever the hell you can and more to keep them out!" Alex order while loading his assault rifle.

"I'll try." Heckins answered as he activates firewalls, protection programs while at the same time locking all doors and sealing the room off and activating all security turrets. "Firewalls activated and security turrets online and armed." Heckins alerted.

"I'm, disappointed in you Alex…" they heard a voice from inside the room, Alex recognizing it to be Raylen's.

"Shit how did he…" before Alex could finish he felt another armor restraint gently placed onto his back. Just as Raylen decloaked from behind him.

"You didn't think I wouldn't come prepared?" The rogue Spartan spoke before pulling out a data crystal chip with a forerunner symbol on it out of the back of his helmet and inserting it into the main computer system's access port. "Siva, see what you can dig up."

In an instant, all lights began glowing red as Heckins was instantly shut off and replaced with Siva taking the form of the symbol of the Banished. Quickly downloading any and all information stored into the ship's main computer.

"Commander, Oracle squad is here. You can unlock the doors sir!" he heard White call out behind the thick steel doors. Prompting Siva to reactivate the turrets and start open firing on Lex and his team.

"Dammit! Siva was already in the systems. Take those turrets out!" Lex ordered.

"FUCK!" White cursed as she, Joseph and Lex took cover behind some metal crates. Their shields already depleted from the shots they took from the turrets.

Lex draw his pistol, cocks it and waits for his shields to replenish. With a few beeps signaling that his shields are back he then takes one each precise shot at both turrets taking them both easily.

"Well, nice work on the turrets Lex but how the hell are we going to get through the steel doors. Those things are built to take blasts from Scorpion Tanks and not get scratched?" White asked sounding irritated.

"Geez White, that's a great observation but instead of pointing out the obvious try hacking the damn thing since opening doors is your specialty." Lex ordered.

"Yeah but I've never crossed a hack fight with a Forerunner A.I. Hell I can't even beat Heckins is a game of chess!" she corrected.

"Just figure something out Siva is already in the computer and we don't know how much time we got left before it gets a copy of everything on board the ship!"

"Working on it." She answers as she begins trying to tap into the computer's console and begins rewiring the commands of the computer. Yet each attempt resulting in access denied. "You shitting me? It keeps changing the password every five seconds."

"Double time on it White I want that damn door open!" Lex yelled.

Suddenly on a screen close by comes on, showing the camera footage of Raylan looking up at it as Siva finishes downloading.

"Download complete…" a robotic yet feminine spoke in a serious tone.

"Download the virus. Give their ship a fuck up that'll take them weeks to recover." Raylen ordered.

"Acknowledged." His A.I. spoke and started the process of downloading the virus.

"While you're at it, let the Spartans in. I wanna have a look at them."

"Acknowledged."

In an instant the heavy steel doors open as well as the main door opening up to grant Lex and his team access into the room. Yet immediately Raylen tossed three more armor restraints to render Lex, Joseph, and White immobilized.

Instead of finishing them off, the rogue Spartan walked over and inspected the three Spartan, particularly Lex. He taps the button on the armor restraint on Lex's armor a little to allow Lex to speak through his helmet.

"Another Spartan III survivor of Reach. I didn't think there were many left after that battle." Raylen spoke, mainly to Lex.

"Yeah so what?" Lex asks.

"Well...I guess that would make us brothers you and me and your friend White. I was a Spartan III just like you, and I fought on Reach as well. I wouldn't be surprised if we attended the same boot camp training or surgery room together." Raylan spoke very politely and calmly.

"And why does this matter? Just because you, me and White fought on Reach and how do you know who we are?" Lex asks.

"I don't. But I recognize a fellow Spartan III when I see one. And I can tell if one has fought on Reach or not if they had the combat skills to get pass the many different Covenant to get here." Raylen again spoke very politely.

"So then why work for some damn Brute?" Lex asks curiously.

Lex could see the rogue spartan grip his hand into a tight fist a little. "Well, if I told you, what would stop you from not believing me from saying I'm trying to put an end to the real threat going on." he spoke still sounding very polite and calm.

"I don't know what other threat you could possibly be talking about other than the Brute and that huntress Forerunner." Lex answered honestly.

"Actually as bad as they are they didn't do the things my enemy did. I work for them because they're a means to an end for my personal war with the real enemy of all of this." Raylen wrapped a arm around Lex's neck and brought his helmet close to the area where Lex could hear him whisper. "Remember, keep your friends close, but your enemies closer." he whispered before shutting off Lex's speech unit and walked back into the room.

"Virus download complete." Siva acknowledged.

"Shut everything off except life support systems. I want to screw them up not kill everyone." Raylen spoke.

"Acknowledge…" Siva spoke, shutting the entire ship's power off except the life support systems keeping air in the ship. Once done, Raylen retrieves Siva's data crystal chip from the access port and inserts it back into his helmet.

"Raylen this is Zek, mission accomplish." he heard Zek speak through his mic.

"Understood, rendezvous at the hangar bay for the extraction point. Let's go earn our paychecks." Raylen spoke before walking out of the room. He patted Lex on the shoulder calmly as he walked passed him and left the room.

"Shit...I can't move…" she cursed herself as her body was still too weak to do any form of extreme heavy lifting, especially trying to lift a Spartan off her and Ladia.

No matter how much Dena tried moving out or pushing Johann's immobilized body off her, nothing was working. The Spartan's armor was just too heavy. Normally she wouldn't have much issues picking a Spartan up, at least back when she was still with the Covenant. Yet her bones were still weak from recovery for her to even be doing anything.

That was when it hit her, the device, the armor locking device Zek used to immobilize Johann. It had to be somewhere on him, if she could just find it then she can help the medical Spartan get back control of the movements of his armor.

"The Armor restraint… it's on my back. Try and reach for it, Ladia." Johann informed her though it was in heavy static.

"I'll try… if it wasn't a large armored guy laying on top of me." Ladia answered as she began reaching around his back for the armor restraint device. The good news was she was able to see it but the bad news was it was far down his back far away from her reach at this moment.

"Ficken…" she heard him curse from his helmet which sounded heavy with static.

"I would have a better reach if I could just get you off of me…" she groaned, despite her arms having a good reach, they would've been able to reach for it a little better if she had a slightly better angle to it.

"I would move if I could...what's Ladia's status?"

"She's out cold I think her arm looked badly broken and burned with plasma burns."

"Scheisse…"

"What?"

"I said shit…"

"But why didn't you just say shit instead of that word you just used?"

"Because I'm German."

"What's the difference?" she asked still struggling to reach for the device on his back.

Verdammt!…"

There was a loud kick from close by. Dena turned her head slightly to see Hogan and Jared walk in after returning from the space battle. Hogan presses the restraint, deactivating the device and pulls it off Johann's back releasing him.

"Wow, did we miss something?" Hogan asked.

"The entire ship getting their asses kicked by mercenaries." Johann answered as he got back up and helped Dena up and picked a knocked out Ladia up to carry her.

"So why are we just standing around? Let's get moving." Jared answered enthusiastically.

"I need to have these two treated, try heading back to the hanger bay and maybe we can stop Zek from getting away from the information he just stole." Johann helped Dena lean on his as he helped escort her to the infirmary.

As the two watched Johann walk away with Dena and Ladia, Hogan slapped the back of Jared's head.

"Told you we were late."

"The Banshee was on our ass and he was good pilot too." Jared answered.

"Yeah sure he was…" Hogan commented as he and Jared started rushing back to the hanger bay double time.

In the meantime down in the hangar bay, UNSC forces struggled to push back the invading Covenant forces, being pinned down and short on ammo as it seemed there were endless amounts of Covenant forces firing at them.

Their focus were disrupted the moment they saw a grenade land close to them yet it was too late for them to react in time as it exploded the moment they laid eyes on it.

The Covenant seized fire after the explosion killed the rest of their targets. Seeing the rogue Spartan exit from the smoke of the explosion and making his way over to them.

"About time you showed up." Zek appeared from above the upper floors hoping down to their level.

"We have what we came for. Let's move…"

"Hold it right there!"

Stopping, they still had their backs faced to the other exit of the hangar bay as the rest of oracle, Jared and Hogan entered. The moment they saw Raylen however took them surprised as they were unfamiliar of the Rogue.

"Wait, did we bring another Spartan with us?" Hogan asked Jared.

"Ahh more trophies to collect off of…" Zek smirked.

"We got what we're here for, a bigger prize is waiting for us, no use wasting time with these rookies." Raylan mentioned.

The Rogue Spartan and Merc Skirmisher looked at each other and appeared to be shaking their fists for a rock paper scissors match. Raylan won with he picked Scissors over Zek's paper.

"Dammit I hate this human game, you always win." the Skirmisher complained.

Raylen chuckled from sweet victory as he turned around and walked over to the other two Spartans.

"Who the hell is that?" Hogan asks curiously.

"Whoever the hell he is. He's dead!" Jared growls.

Raylen attacks Jared first with a surprise hook punch to the face followed by a spin knee strike to his ribs. Quickly following with a back fist to Hogan's head and stomp to Hogan's knees. Effectively breaking their bones with his strikes. Before the two could counter strike the rogue Spartan simply places armor restraints on the two.

"You didn't kill them." Zek pointed out.

"I've done enough killing for the day." Raylen spoke before joining Zek and the surviving Covenant strike team members on a Phantom to take off.

"Da fuck just happened?" Jared asked in cringed pain underneath his armor.

"That is one badass." Hogan cringed as well in pain.

"Shut up, Hogan..." Jared spoke last.


	14. Battle Plans

**Me and Solid would like to make a small side note that during the long planning sessions for the chapters. We found ourselves disappointed with allot of older plans we used to write in the past chapters. So from this chapter and onward, we will be adding the new and improved decisions and changes to characters and other stuff throughout the rest of the story. So if you noticed something very different from what you last read in the past chapters, we ask if you could ignore what was stated in the past chapters and accept the new changes you may notice from this chapter and here on out.**

 **We apologize for the long wait and sudden out of the blue changes. This is just to give heads up so to not irritate anyone who has been following this story since day one. We thank everyone very deeply much for the patience and support.**

* * *

The Huntress sat on her High Tech Promethean throne room within a _CAS_ -class assault carrier as it's shipmaster Havuus stood beside her. She was sitting with her one leg crossed, tapping her foot as she waited a little impatient.

"The Banished. These mercenaries were enemies of the old Covenant years ago. Why must we make deals with these heretics?" The Brute Chieftain asked.

"Because they are more reliable then you are now. If I sent you then you be dead in the matter of seconds. Do not underestimate them, the humans are arrogant but not stupid." Ur-Artis answered.

"Send me to them and I will cleanse them of your sight in your name my goddess." Havuus beat his chest.

She chuckled deeply, leaning over to him and held his head under his chin and rubbed it gently like a pet making her grin. The Brute grinned thinking he would finally have a queen's favor in him until a Promethean solider comes in to give her news.

"My lady, the mercenaries have just boarded with your request."

"Bring them in." She ordered as she pushed Havuus aside and waited for their arrival. Moments later, Zek and Raylen entered the room as they were accompanied by Banished Soldiers consisting of Sangheili and Brute members.

"My lady." Havuus' soldiers and prothean soldiers bowed. The banished members however did not bow and just stood on their feet.

"Bow before your goddess mercenaries!" Havuus demanded.

"Fuck her. We bow to no one." Zek crossed his arms.

She growled as she stood up. "Do you have what I want?"

The only Spartan member in the room pulled out the data drive containing all the information she wanted. Her ever loyal and obedient servant, Havuus, walks over to it, and tries taking it but the Spartan moved it away.

"Our payment." Raylen demanded.

With a growl, the Huntress tapped a few buttons and handed them a Promethean like hard drive. "The information that will grant your organization absolute power is stored in this file. Give this to your chieftain."

Raylen rudely snatched it from her grasp and tossed the flashdrive he had to Havuus. The Brute takes it but not before growling at them as he turned to present it to his mistress. The Huntress attaches it to the computer board as it lights up uploading the information with hologram screens appearing above them showing everything they need to know.

"Excellent Raylen. You delivered well indeed." Ur-Artis grinned and chuckled.

"I had to kill a lot of people for that so you better make due on your part of the bargain."

"Of course we have our deal." She leans closer to him as she seductively scratches his chest armor with one finger, making Havuus a jealous. "But why stop there when you can-"

The Rogue Spartan pulls out a pistol and quickly points it to her face before she could finish. "Just so we understand each other clearly, I don't trust you, nor do I even like you. You are only a means to an end so if you try to do anything clever I will put a bullet through your mouth, bitch."

"Awe, don't be like that darling. There's no need for such violence after all you are worthy hunter among the rest of the hunters I have here." She grinned as she gently pushed his gun down and rubbed her hand against the side of his helmet.

Raylen however did not like any of the advancements as he rudely slapped her hand away and hook punched her hard in the jaw. "Better stop while you're ahead. Because like I said, you are just a means to an end."

Havuus understandingly growled in anger as he jumped towards Raylen grabbed him by the neck. Raises him in the air and ready to snap his neck with a simple squeeze. "How dare you strike the Huntress?! You think you're immortal because you're skilled warrior but you're not immortal. I can squash like any human before you." Havuus threatened as he begins squeezing his neck close to snapping it.

"No! Release him." Ur-Artis orders him.

"But Huntress… He struck you. Mercenaries have no respect for your kind. He deserves to die!" Havuus answered.

"Better do as she says otherwise you want to piss off Atriox. And believe me, a war against the Banished is something your Huntress won't be able to win." Zek threatened as he and other soldiers of the banished held their weapons at aimed at Havuus' soldiers and Promethean soldiers.

Raylen pulled out his pistol and holds it right at Havuus' head. "And I've got better things to do then waste my time kissing her shiny metal ass like you do."

"Enough!" Ur-Artis yelled out, seeing a slightly shockwave that smashed a few things in the room and sends a few soldiers across the room to prove her point.

"Yes Mistress. My apologies. Please forgive me…" Havuus bowed to her before releasing the Rogue Spartan.

"We'll be leaving to inspect our reward for all this trouble. A message will be sent with details of our thoughts." Raylen spoke before he, Zek, and the other Banished Merc soldiers turned and left the throne room.

"Peasant slimes. They have no power over me…" The Huntress mumbled as she returned to her throne and Havuus stood next to her. "Soon enough he'll see I'm no mere mortal…"

* * *

Meanwhile at the Order of Freedom, Alex along with Lex and his team with Johann sit in the meeting room. Joseph and Johann were the only two still in wearing their Spartan helmets with Hogan and Jared having bandages on their broken bones as well ice packs.

"What's the status Doctor?" Alex asked rubbing his head in frustration.

"A count of five percent of our marine forces are deceased with ten percent too injured for battle. The battle was meant mostly to disable us as twenty five percent of all our equipment from weapons to tanks have been destroyed. Not only that but Heckins is currently going through data cleaning as most of his hardware was either fried or bugged with the virus. Dr. Ladia is currently undergoing recovery from her injury but it has left some of her nerves damaged so she won't be operating at full capacity for the rest of the mission." Johann pointed out.

"And they stole a copy on all the data on this ship and the data that was in Dena's armor." Alex sighed laying back in his seat.

"Which reminds me, care to explain to us who the hell that Spartan was and why the hell he was on the Covenant?" Lex asked.

"That's what we want to know." Jared sighed placing the Ice bag over his face.

Alex was silent for a moment. Turning around on his seat he typed a few buttons to show Raylen's pic on screen a T.V. as well as his file.

"Raylen Evans, born twenty five twenty three. Was a former Spartan III among an elite team known as Primal Team. Like you Lex and White he fought in the battle of Reach and is one of the very few Spartan III's left."

"Damn, so we're dealing with a Rogue Spartan who's almost like me and White?" Lex asks.

"Yep, though by the look on the symbol he's branded his armor with, I say he seems to have joined up with the Banished."

"I don't think anyone would join those bastards unless if he wants something from them to complete something." White added.

"Or he simply just wants to go merc and just got greedy as hell." Hogan suggested.

"Whatever the case since we may be dealing with Raylen and the Banished this situation as of now just got much, much worse." Standing up, Alex turned around and watched the security footage of Raylen beating Jared and Hogan in their two on one battle. "Dena, I want you with Oracle when we drop."

"WHAT?!" Johann snapped.

"I'm sorry doctor we don't have a choice."

"Do not give me that stier scheisse she is not ready for the field she needs at least another month of physical therapy and still needs to regain control of her body's nerves for combat training!" Johann yelled.

"Do you have any better suggestions doctor because I can't think of any fucking thing?!" Alex slammed his fist on the table. "She's going down there battered and broken or not!"

"Well sir, I don't know. I mean Dena could barely walk when we're attacked. You sure this is wise?" Lex asks curiously.

"At this point it doesn't matter if it's wise or not, the Covenant now has everything on us and we haven't even started fighting them yet. We're in a shit hole the size of the ass end of space."

"As chief medical officer on board this ship I strongly fully decline this choice and vote to delay that order." Johann tried to speak calmly but sounded irritated nonetheless.

"And as the fucking commander of this ship and mission you can take that vote and shove it up your ass Johann because I don't know how much more I have to prove to you people how desperate we truly are at this Goddamn moment!" Alex swore in all seriousness.

"You are taking a very serious big risk with this. The consequences will be yours to bare should anything happen to her." Johann reminded.

"I'll fucking take them all, now dismissed!"

Lex and his team put their helmets on and salute him before leave the meeting room. Lex in the meantime was deep in thought over the commander's choice of sending their injured Sangheili alley on the field this soon. As desperate they maybe right now it didn't feel right taking her into battle without her being fully healed.

"Hey Dena, you were very quiet through all that, don't you have any personal thoughts or such about the commander's all of a sudden decision to send you on the field a month ahead of schedule without you fully recovering?" White asked the female Elite as Lex's team walk towards the barracks. Dena for most part having trouble and having to have to lean on the wall or have either Johann or Lex's support to walk.

"Well I am no stranger to injuries but your commander is correct. We've wasted far enough time with my injuries. We must find the weapon before the Huntress does." Dena answered.

When Dena tripped from her legs hurting, Lex caught her gently and helped her back up and allowed her to lean on him so she can properly walk to a degree.

"Seriously, there is no way you will survive out there in that condition." Hogan pointed out.

"Which is precisely what I'm trying to tell the commander." Johann said seriously.

"No, don't worry about my injuries." She opposed while groaning in pain.

"Yeah but seriously you can't even walk from one end to another without someone's support." Jared mentioned.

"Then… let Lexington assist me. He is one of few I can trust enough with my life." Dena spoke.

The other Spartans paused for a moment before Lex placed Dena's arm over his shoulder and helped her down the hall.

"Geez, didn't know you trusted me that much."

Dena blushed deeply hearing his words. "It's just you've been more kind to me since I arrived here and joining your team. I hope it's not a bother to you."

"Nah I have a soft spot for women. " the Spartan joked under his helmet.

Dena blushed even deeper while feeling a little swayed. "Oh, thank you."

"No problem. Sorry, we can't get a little rest. We got to drop on que ETA three hours. So let's see if we can get your old armor back on."

"Very well then." She answered.

The two eventually after some struggled arrived in the lab with Dena's old armor finally repaired and ready for another combat trip. Only issue was if Dena herself would be ready or not.

Now that it was fully fixed and repaired, Lex was finally able to take notice of it's features. It consisted of golden armor with green highlights, denoting status as field commanders. The armor, especially the helmet, is quite similar in appearance to that worn by Sangheili Generals in service to the Covenant; however, it is a duller shade of gold and leaves the wearer's forearms exposed.

The helmet is an elaborate, accentuated pauldrons use a shield-bolstering pauldron system to increase shield strength. The cuisine is of the spaded design. The greaves are high framed and are ridge-locked, with ornamental raised-claws. It also features an all-encompassing body glove similar in appearance to that worn by Sangheili Generals seen from Reach.

"So are you ready to do this?" He asks considering.

"Sure…" she spoke with a heavy sigh, letting go of her Spartan companion to see if she can try and get her armor on. Starting off with untying the medical gown she was wearing until she stopped and blushed at the realization of something. "Um could you...turn around as I disrobed...please?"

"Oh… uh, sure." Lex answered as he turned around while blushing deeply underneath his helmet.

With assurance that no one was looking she finally disrobed herself naked of the medical gown. Reaching for the full body vacuum suit, she opened it from behind and tried stepping in. Her good leg did okay but once she tried moving her bad leg in place she let out a shout in pain feeling the tightness around it.

Lex tries not to look but his right eye looks at the corner seeing her struggling to dress even in the vacuum suit of her armor. "You sure you don't want my help?" He asks curiously.

"I can handle it." she sighed breathing hard to try and calm herself from the pain she was feeling.

"You don't sound fine…"

"I know but please trust me I can…" she was unable to finish when she found herself losing her balance and fall hard on the ground that made her shout in pain.

Lex rushed over and helps her up gently. He didn't notice that he held her hips. "Are you okay?" He asks.

"I just tripped nothing serious…" she spoke while breathing hard in pain.

"Nice try, Dena." He says as he helps her into a chair.

"I'm serious all I did was just trip that's all…"

"Dena…" He spoke seriously as he started helping her into her vacuum suit herself.

Despite his internal protest, curiosity got the better of him and he was forced to look. He had to admit, she was a very beautiful and extremely sexy female Sangheili. She had very slim curvy body with a. Even with her arms covering her privates, he could tell she had luscious, juicy, giant solid firm watermelon sized double G almost H-Cup breasts. He wanted to say that he could see her malleable, massive plump melon size bubble butt thanks to a mirror behind her. Her thick yet toned thighs were smooth and feminine at the same time.

She has a bit of a chubby middle with a layer of fat around her belly that was plump and squishy but still compliments her child-bearing hips as wide as her breasts. Finally, he noticed she had black freckles across the skin beneath her eyes, along her shoulders, a few on her breasts, on the side of her thighs, and on her bubble butt. He thought they complimented her after her injury, her scaly skin have darken yellow reptilian eyes and her dark grey bluish scaly skin since from the injury a while back.

She turned around so her back was facing him as she didn't want him to see her privates. Yet she still blushed knowing her plump bubble butt was still in view. It was from this view that Lex noticed her lean yet trimmed muscular back and visible lean battle harden muscular arms, obviously as a result from her long military career.

Starting with her ankles first as that appeared to be the most she was able to do herself. It wouldn't be until he was able to reach up to her thick thighs that he realized she was still naked trying to help get her in the suit.

Dena was now blushing intensely more feeling his stare at her thick thighs so close to her womanhood. Lex blushed underneath his helmet as well as he felt her thick hips and was close to reaching her large ass. He wasn't even touching it yet he could already tell how plump and bubbly her cheeks must be from behind.

"L-Lex, your hands are quite large… for a human..." She suddenly spoke with a moaning tone.

He actually froze on that spot, did she just moan for him or something. He may never had any girlfriends in the past but he sure knew the difference between different types of moanings. Especially one coming from that kind of pleasure. "Umm...Perhaps we should move on, mind standing up for me."

She did as she was told but due to her mind still swayed with pain from her injuries and pleasure from the Spartan's accidental exploration of her body. She did not think before acting as the moment she did her womanhood came right into Lex's face from her behind. If it wasn't for his helmet hiding all his features, she would've never guessed that his face was bright in color of a new shade of red.

"D-Dena, your… uh… end is on my face." Lex stammers a little while blushing deeply.

"My what?" she asked still a little out there.

"Your rear end…" He spoke out fully, snapping her out of her heating moment.

"Oops…" she gulped and quickly moved her behind from his view and used her hands to cover the view from his sight.

"H-Hey, it's okay Dena."

"Sorry I...I couldn't think straight the suit is very tight on my leg and it hurts and then there was I-I." she stuttered. That was when she noticed the mirror from earlier that gave him a view of her butt already.

"Dena, it's okay." He spoke softly trying to calm her down. "Just try and relax and I'll help you into the rest of this okay." he spoke softly, calming her before she could have a heart attack from realizing he saw her butt from the mirror earlier.

With a quiet nodded she took a breath and calmed down for him to continue. He then pulls up the suit a little to her as her large butt sinks into the suit making Lex blush more and continues pulling the suit up till it reached her breasts. He stopped not because he didn't want to help but that he was afraid of the possibility of it pushing her into the same heat state again.

"I think I can handle it from here…" she groaned from the pain of the tightness of the suit on the most damaged and recovering parts of her body.

"Alright then." He answered as he watched her push her arms into the sleeves and her breasts squeezes in.

Her tight suit was showing off her well rounded body looking more slicker and smoother from her breasts down to her butt cheeks. Now that her vacuum suit covered her from neck down to the feet, all there was left was to place the different armor pieces on her.

"So what armor pieces do we start first with?"

"Um, help me into my leg armor and work from there."

"Alright." he agreed as she sat down. Reaching for her greaves he helped her slip into each leg armor, which it turned out alright for her good leg but when he started slipping her bad leg into it she hissed in deep pain.

"Sorry…" He stopped temporary

"It's okay. It's only the pain. Please continue." She answered trying to hold the pain in.

"Okay now." He spoke as he lifted her chest armor piece and placed it on her chest and clicks into place.

She made a few adjustments to get it to stay on. However she was now breathing hard as if suffocating from the pain the chest piece and vacuum suit was squeezing on her recovering broken ribs.

"Are you sure you're okay?" He asks curiously and a little worried.

"Not really." she answered while still breathing hard from the pain she was having. "All I need now is my helmet…"

He picks up the helmet, hands it to her and slips it onto her head. She stretches her neck and body out to get the feeling of wearing armor again.

"How do you feel?" He asks.

As she took a step, the pain in her body from wearing so much on her especially were her broken bones were trying to recover, caused her to trip and fall.

"Still in pain…" She panted heavily.

This caused her Spartan companion to sigh. "I don't know how the hell we're going to get this to work."

"Have you ever been a situation like mine. Forced to fight even though you were still recovering from injuries so great it kept you in the doctors?"

"Well in some situations on the battlefield but your leg is completely broken at the moment despite having surgery and shit done. Not too mention all of this is making your other recovering bones hurting." He answered.

"All Spartan Teams are to report to the shuttle bay ETA Two Hours." They overheard Commander Alex over the vid com.

"Well I guess that's us…" she chuckled nervously.

"Look Dena I don't know. I mean me and my team have done some tough missions in the past on our own. And I know you want to help but…" Lex helped her up to her feet and let her rest an arm over his shoulder so he can help her walk.

"I know you're worried for me but I can handle myself before and after the war. So please, worry yourself and I'll worry about myself." She patted his armored cover chest a little.

Not saying anything else, Lex silently agreed to her request and helped her make her way towards the shuttle bay. "A little warning though, Oracle Team isn't the only Spartan Team onboard. They'll be doing their missions alongside us. And I'm pretty sure most of them are not too fond of Elites. Especially their team leaders who are all either former Spartan Veterans from the last War."

Even though it took them a little short while to make their way to the shuttle bay. True to his word, there were multiple Spartan Teams already there. She saw Lex's team a little far off, with them being Joseph and Johann as always.

"The first team is Gurdian team. Their jobs will be to guard camps and stuff that we'll establish down on the planet." Lex mentioned as he pointed to the first Spartan team consisting of a GEN II Anubis Spartan their leader, a GEN II Fenrir Spartan, a GEN II Reaper Spartan, and a GEN II Cyclops Spartan. The team apparently busy looking over a map before they turned and watched the female Elite carried by Lex pass them by.

"The next is Force Team. They'll be doing information gathering on the Covenant's equipment and other stuff." Lex mentioned as they walked past the second Spartan Team. Consisting of their leader, a GEN II Cypher Spartan, a GEN II Orbital Spartan, a GEN II CQB Spartan, and a GEN II Mako Spartan. They were occupied doing some exercise to get prepped and ready. Stopping the moment Dena past them to watch her suspiciously.

"And finally there's Cobra Team. Basically one of the teams that'll be assisting the marines in the skirmishes."

The Cobra Team consisted of their Leader a GEN II EVA Spartan, a GEN II Enforcer Spartan, a GEN II Seeker Spartan, and a GEN II Deadeye Spartan. They were busy checking and reloading their weapons. Turning their heads to watch Dena walk past them as they still reloaded their weapons.

Lex patted her shoulder gently. "Don't worry, Dena. If others can get used to Arbiter then they'll get used to you."

"Do you really think so?" She asks worryingly.

"I know so. Come on, we got to meet up with the others. Alex is got to give one of his speeches."

With a soft nod, she allowed Lex to help her over to where the team was waiting for her.

"I'm telling you guys, this is a bad idea…" Jared mentioned through the mic of his helmet as everyone was checking their weapons and equipment.

"Try telling that to Commander Alex you heard him. He doesn't give a shit at this point as we're seriously in a desperate situation after having our asses kicked by the Banished." White commented.

"She won't survive down there in her condition!" Johann pointed out, still sounding angry with Alex's decision to have her on the field way before Dena could recover.

"And you think I'm happy about this decision? We'll have to do for now, doctor." Lex added.

"My advice, have her do sniping positions away from the battlefield. At this point she would risk permanently crippling herself." Johann answered.

"Dena, how well can you snipe?" White asks curiously.

"I can decently snipe every now and then. I'm no master like Hogan here but I have some experiences here and there."

Before anyone else could respond, the rest of the Spartan Teams stood ready for attention, causing Lex and his team to do the same. Soon Commander Alex himself now wearing his Spartan Helmet enters and walk in front of a Pelican Dropship spray painted with the UNSC Flag.

"Spartans! No poor bastard ever won a war by dying for his faction. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his faction. An army is a team. It lives, eats, sleeps, fights as a team. This individuality stuff is a bunch of crap. The bilious bastards who wrote that stuff about individuality for the Saturday Evening Post don't know anything more about real battle than they do about fornicating." Alex began his speech.

"Now, we have the finest food and equipment, the best spirit, and the best men in the Galaxy. You know, by God, I actually pity those poor bastards we're going up against. By God, I do. The Covenant are the enemy and we're not just going to shoot the bastards. We're going to murder those lousy Cove bastards by the bushel. We're going to wade into them, spill their blood, shoot them in the belly. We're going to cut out their living guts and use them to grease the treads of our tanks. We're going to hold onto them by the nose, and we're gonna kick them in the ass. We're gonna kick the hell out of them all the time, and we're gonna go through them like crap through a goose!" Alex continued.

"Alright now you sons-of-bitches, you know how I feel. Oh, I will be proud to lead you wonderful guys into battle anytime, anywhere." he concluded.

Most of the Spartans in the room cheered in agreement. All expect Lex and his team with Hogan snickering a little behind his helmet.

"Why am I not surprised he stole that from General Patton?" Hogan elbowed Joseph a little.

"Who is this General Patton?" Dena asked, all completely confused on what just happened.

"Patton is a big ass long story." Lex answered.

"So will he be fighting with us?" she asked once more tilting her head gently to the side.

The Spartans within the group just looked at each other silently dumbfounded.

"No let's just say he won't be because he's been dead for six hundred years and that's all part of the big ass long story." Lex sighed, placing Dena's arm over his shoulder and helping her into the Pelican.

From the way she was grunting in pain and breathing hard the team could already tell her armor pressed tightly onto her was giving her pain. Already guessing why as once she sat down and latched her seatbelt on she rubbed her still recovering broken leg softly.

"Guys, I'm serious this is suicide. She's going to slow us down big time." White commented getting into her seat and strapping on.

"White, I know how you feel about this but what choice do we have in the matter." Lex answered while taking his seat and strapping the seat belt on.

"Once we arrive I want you to stay with Lex at all times so he may keep a close eye on your condition." Johann stated outside. "Unfortunately I have to stay on board and help with Dr. Ladia and the others hurt from the attack."

Joseph gave them a salute before walking off. Just as Jared and Hogan took their seats and strapped on for the ride.

"I do not mean to serve as a distraction... I…" Dena tried saying before she felt Joseph give her a small pat on the shoulder and takes a seat next to Hogan.

Once aboard the hatch closes and prepares for take off.

"So anyone got a final question to ask should we die on the way down there?" Hogan asked.

"I got two. Dena, what size are those boobs of yours and how the hell can you fit those damn thing in there?" Jared asked out of the blue.

Lex smack Jared in the side for asking a ridiculous question."Let me ask you something. How big will that bruise will be?" He asks annoyed.

"Um…" Dena began her face blushing heavily looking away in embarrassment. "I believe Johann classified them as Gs. And every combat harness is custom made to adapt to our sizes. Though I had to get mine specially made because most of them would not fit me because of my breasts."

"Dena, you don't have to answer that kind of question." Lex spoke.

"I honestly didn't think female elites had boobs." Hogan confessed.

"Yeah that's because most Elites in the military are males and you don't see many females. I'm one of those very extreme rare cases since my late father had allot of power within the Covenant military at the time. But our use of them are similar to how Earth women use them. The only slight difference is Elite children can sometimes be slightly rougher because they have to bite in with their sharp little teeth and suck the nutrients needed." Dena confessed once more.

"Well, at least now we know one of the secrets of the Galaxy. The explanation of Elite tits." Jared joke which got Hogan laughed alongside him. Though Joseph punches Hogan into his side as Lex did the same to Jared again.

"What, if we somehow die on the way down there didn't you want to know about Elite boobs sir?" Hogan asked.

"I suggest you stay quiet for the rest of the trip. Understand Hogan? That goes for you too Jared." Lex spoke.

"Party pooper…" the two grumbled quietly.

The Pelicans slowly take flight off from the ship's hangar bay as they flew straight down and began making their way towards the planet.


End file.
